The Changing Face of Lester
by SandyLee Potts
Summary: Continuation of 'Do you remember me' We meet Lester's wife. How will the team deal with how Lester is changing? All characters included. Lots of twists. One concerning Jess. The ARC has been wired with explosives! Contains Conby, Jecker, Memily.
1. Chapter 1

**The Changing Face of Lester. **

**Here we meet Lester's wife. Continuation from 'Do you remember me?' **

**Lester has been bitten by a Future Predator. **

Chapter 1

Lester went out to the local pub to buy all of his staff a drink. After the long and eventful day that they all had had, he felt as if everyone deserved a drink. All apart from Abby.

Abby and Connor had been going through rough patch. Connor had finally realised that Philip Burton had used him so that he could open his own anomaly. The final straw had been after Connor had succeeded in opening the first man-made anomaly and 'Killer Beetles' had come pouring through the anomaly. During which Phillip had tried to kill everything in the ARC, including ARC personnel. That had been the final straw for Connor, and so the pretence of him losing his memory had begun. Abby had been speaking to Matt who had informed her that Connor was behind everything that went wrong in the Future. She had tried to get Connor to listen to her and not to do Phillip's bidding. Connor had dismissed her concern and carried on working for Phillip, thus driving a very nasty wedge into their relationship.

Connor and Abby had recently made up, were engaged and were now telling everyone the good news that Abby was expecting a baby. Abby felt a little jealous that everyone else was drinking but she made a promise to herself that she would not touch any alcohol until after the baby was born.

Lester had a soft drink with all of them; after all he needed pain relief and still needed to drive himself home. It simply would not do if he was caught 'drink driving'. He decided to go home. He was still feeling quite tired and sore. He recalled the days' events.

He had been in a meeting with the Minister who decided that he wanted a proper run down of the goings on at the ARC.

On his return he had found that two of his men had embarked upon a suicide mission, to go to the Prospero offices and destroy the Anomaly Opening Machine that Phillip Burton had built. Connor, the brains behind everything, had even been sucked into the anomaly. Somehow he had managed to crawl out and end up at the ARC. That was strange. The fact that Connor had entered the anomaly in one place and come out another disturbed him. He decided that he would find out how but for the moment he would let it go.

Somehow some predators had entered the building and Lester had been bitten. How was he going to explain that one to his wife? She did not know anything about the Secret and Highly Confidential Organisation that he worked in. As he drove he heard a dog bark. It was almost as if a light bulb had pinged on in his brain. That's it! Bitten by a stray dog. That could just work. It would have to be a very large dog, but it could work.

The doctors had managed to patch him up, and he felt well enough to not only to drive himself home but to join his staff in a drink at the local pub. Lester groaned. He had not been prepared to pay out all that money for drinks!

* * *

><p>Lester arrived home, exhausted, sore and tired. He paused to look around his large eight bedroom house in West Berkshire. When they had moved here over ten years ago they had loved the idea of village life. The enormous south facing garden and patio was something that his wife had really fallen in love with. It wasn't until recently that they realised that they were practically neighbours to the Middleton's. That had been a bonus. The team had been aghast when he told them that he had an invitation to the Royal Wedding. Lester like it because it didn't take that long to get into work, just over an hour wasn't bad. Some people at the Ministry had to live over eighty miles away, taking them far longer than it took Lester. The fact that he managed to get into work so quickly, especially in an emergency, had put him in the minister's good books.<p>

"Darling I'm home" he called. "Darling? Where are you?" he called again. He looked into his garden where she would normally be relaxing after a hard day's work at the hospital. If she was out there she would definitely not hear him.

"Darling? ... Caroline?" He wondered where she could be. He wandered back to the front of the house. It was then he saw the yellow post-it note by the front door. 'Something has come up at work. Be back later.' Lester groaned again, feeling very sore. The feeling in the side returning as the painkillers wore off. He decided to have a few paracetamol and go to sleep.

* * *

><p>A very smart woman drove up to the house. She had medium length blonde hair and blue eyes; today she wore a very flattering trouser suit in midnight blue. She walked purposely up to the house.<p>

Lester was upstairs, changing into his pyjamas when she came in. "James, Darling where are you?"

"Up here" he called. Lester was struggling with his shirt as she came in. He winced in pain as he tried unsuccessfully to take his shirt off.

"James... Oh my goodness. How did that happen?" James' wife gasped as she saw the bandages wrapped around his chest. Lester was struggling to take off his shirt and Caroline immediately went over to help. She helped him out of his shirt and into his pyjama top.

"Sorry Caroline didn't mean to scare you." He saw the concern and worry in her eyes. "I was bitten by a huge dog. Had to go to the hospital and be bandaged up". Lester closed his eyes and groaned he avoided looking into her eyes fearing that if he did she would know that he was lying.

"You should have called I'd have come by to patch you up. I would love to see where you work!" Caroline knew that he worked for a branch of the Government, but had never actually seen where. She was intrigued as to what he actually did. She had gotten used to various phone calls during the day and night, and had after the first few times of questioning, had reluctantly agreed to ignore them.

"Oh you would have been far too busy to see me, besides you have other patients who need you more than I do" Lester eased himself down on the bed with Caroline's help, feeling very weary and sore. All he wanted to do was sleep.

"No, fairly quiet, I had just got home and was called back out to see to Mr Mansfield who decided he was not going to take any of his Meds."

Caroline sat down next to her husband of twenty years. Their children Andrew and Hannah had moved away. Andrew was now at University, studying Palaeontology. Hannah was now living with her boyfriend. The house would be very quiet. She had briefly looked over James' bandages when she was helping him with his shirt. They were very secure. She would see if Lester would let her change them in the morning.

"Have you been given anything for the bites? Any painkillers? Tetanus?"

"I've just taken a few paracetamol, should be fine soon, not sure about the Tetanus." James hated needles. He hoped that she would not insist on having a jab.

After insisting that Lester had something to eat, Caroline sent him to bed.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you liked it.<strong>

**I wonder if you realised where I've got various names from?**

**Read and review please.**

.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Changing Face of Lester. **

**Here we meet Lester's wife. Continuation from 'Do you remember me?' **

**Lester has been bitten by a Future Predator. **

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

4 Hours later...

Caroline went to check on her husband. She sat on the bed next to him. He seemed feverish. His head shaking from side to side on the pillow. Was he dreaming? A nightmare? Delirium?

She went to get her medical bag from her car. She went back to her husband and popped a thermometer into his mouth. She checked it a few minutes later. 39 degrees. Not quite enough to warrant medical intervention. She decided that she would keep an eye on him through the night and then check again in the morning. She changed into her own pyjamas and slipped into bed next to him.

* * *

><p>A Few hours later...<p>

Caroline was woken by groaning from her partner. He was still feverish and his head was still shaking from side to side as if he were dreaming. A nightmare

"James... James... wake up!" She shook him. Alarmed by his temperature she grabbed the thermometer again.

"James I need to take your temperature." She spoke to James who had now woken.

45 degrees.

"I need to get you to hospital. Now!" James shook his head. It would not do for him to be taken into hospital, not with his injuries.

"Call Matt," he breathed. "His number's in my mobile... Call Matt" James sank back into the pillows. "Call Matt he'll know what to do"

"Oh I'm sure I can deal with this, I am a Doctor after all!" Caroline admonished.

"Call Matt!" Lester sat up and shouted. Anger showing in his voice.

Caroline flinched. James often shouted, he was sarcastic, but he was never like this.

Caroline found James's mobile and rang the number for Matt.

* * *

><p>Matt was woken by a ringing sound. He was in bed with Emily. Carefully he crept out of bed, trying not to wake her. He glanced across at her as she slept. Her creamy soft skin seemed as if it was glowing. All that wonderful, long, dark untamed hair, her long lashes laying on her cheek as she slept. He sighed. How close they had become in the last few weeks. He picked up his mobile and answered. He walked into the kitchen, not wanting to disturb Emily.<p>

"Matt Anderson... Yes... O.K... I'll be right there." He wrote down an address.

Emily stood by the door in an oversized shirt.

"Something happen?" She asked.

"Lester's wife, she wants me to go and see her, Lester's not in a good way and he's asking for me." Matt closed his eyes for a moment and then looked at Emily. "Why don't you go back to bed? There's no point in us both being up."

"It's O.K. I'll come with you." Matt shook his head. There was no point in arguing with Emily. She would get her way in the end.

"O.K. Let's go then."

In five minutes they were dressed and heading out of the door. In another half an hour they were outside Lester's house.

* * *

><p>Caroline watched as the car pulled up. In the time that she had called them she had showered and dressed, sleep had evaded her after she had taken Lester's temperature. She looked at the clock 4.30 am. What was she doing up at this ungodly hour. Furthermore who were these people she had called. How could they help and what could they do, that she, Dr. Lester, could not?<p>

Caroline sighed. Her husband had asked her to call for them. He must trust them. She watched as two people got out of the car. She met them at the front door and asked them in.

"Hello, I'm Dr Lester, I'm James's wife." She proffered her hand. Matt took her hand and shook it.

"Matt Anderson, this is Emily Merchant."

Introductions out of the way, Caroline led Matt and Emily upstairs.

"James has been in a bad way since last night, feverish, almost delirious. I can't understand why a dog bite has caused this."

"Is that what he told you? A dog bite?" Matt asked his Irish accent being more pronounced.

Caroline nodded. Matt and Emily exchanged glances.

"Excuse me, but are either of you doctors?" Caroline looked at Matt and then Emily.

Matt shook his head.

"So any medication I use is better than the advice that I'm going to get from you?"

"Well, using medication at this stage is not a good idea. We don't know how it's going to react with him."

"I don't understand."

At that moment Lester groaned. "Caroline, Caroline are you there?"

"Yes I'm right here."

Lester opened his eyes slightly. All he could see were shadows.

"Has Matt arrived?" Caroline nodded. "Send him in; I need to speak to him."

Matt went in and pulled up a nearby chair. Emily asked Caroline if they could have some tea, ensuring that the men were left to talk.

* * *

><p>"Lester how are you feeling?" Matt asked. Lester looked pale and blotchy. He didn't look at all well.<p>

"What an Idiotic question, How do you think I feel?"

Matt smiled. His boss was still there somewhere, he still had his sarcasm.

"Shall I call the medics at the ARC?"

"Yes... Matt my wife and children, they know nothing about the ARC and what we do,"

Lester gulped and continued. "You're going to have to tell Caroline."

"How much?"

"Everything."

Matt nodded. "Lester, the doctors at the ARC, they may not know how to deal with you. So far, no-one has been bitten by a future predator before." Matt wondered what was happening. Maybe Lester's body was having a reaction to being bitten.

"Whatever happens, final call is yours." Lester closed his eyes. He snapped them open again.

"Are you still here?" Lester asked sarcastically.

* * *

><p><strong>Will Matt tell her Everything?<strong>

**Will she believe him?**


	3. Chapter 3

**The Changing Face of Lester. **

**Here we meet Lester's wife. Continuation from 'Do you remember me?' **

**Lester has been bitten by a Future Predator. **

**Chapter 3**

* * *

><p>"You're going to have to tell Caroline."<p>

"How much?"

"Everything."

Matt nodded. "Lester, the doctors at the ARC, they may not know how to deal with you. So far, no-one has been bitten by a future predator before." Matt wondered what was happening. Maybe Lester's body was having a reaction to being bitten.

"Whatever happens, final call is yours." Lester closed his eyes. He snapped them open again.

"Are you still here?" Lester asked sarcastically.

Matt went downstairs to the kitchen where the women were sitting down with mugs of tea. Matt stood in the shadows watching Emily as she chatted easily with Mrs Lester.

Was this what she was like in the 1800s?

Matt made a quick phone call to the medics at the ARC before joining the women. He sat down opposite Caroline and sighed deeply.

"Well is there anything I can do?" There was no easy way to tell her about the anomalies and how they worked. He would just have to start by telling her the truth and if she didn't believe him then he would take her to the ARC.

"We're going to have to take him to the ARC and get the Medics there to look at him."

"Why can't I do it myself?" Caroline demanded.

"Because he hasn't been bitten by a dog!" Matt tried to sound and gentle as he could. This was after all the boss's wife! He took a deep breath and asked. "Did you know that your husband is in charge of a Top Secret Government organisation called the ARC?" Caroline shook her head, unable to comprehend what he was saying. Matt explained to Caroline what ARC stood for and what it did. Trying to explain about rips in time was not easy. Matt decided that taking her to the ARC was the best course of action.

Caroline re-arranged all her appointments for the day. Then joined Lester in the Ambulance as they took him to the ARC. He looked very pale and feverish. She decided that she would trust the Doctors at the Arc, for the moment. Upon arrival at the ARC, Lester was rushed into one of the Medical Bays. Caroline was pleased to see how Spartan it all looked. This was clearly impressive. Even the best private hospitals didn't have all these facilities. Caroline and Matt stood at Lester's side they heard footsteps approaching.

She turned.

A whole group of people came in; amongst them there was a face she recognised.

* * *

><p><strong>Who is it that she recognises?<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**The Changing Face of Lester. **

**Here we meet Lester's wife. Continuation from 'Do you remember me?' **

**Lester has been bitten by a Future Predator. **

**Chapter 4**

* * *

><p>A whole group of people came in; amongst them there was a face she recognised.<p>

"Jess, Oh it's wonderful to see you."

"Auntie Caroline what are you doing here?"

"Auntie Caroline?" Matt asked incredulously. The rest of the team just looked at her, unable to believe what they had just heard.

"I haven't told anyone here that James is my uncle. It's just that everyone would think that he hired me because I am his niece. That's not the case, Lester didn't even interview me." Jess tried to explain herself. The team just stood staring at her. "... Phillip Burton interviewed me."

"That doesn't matter now, listen Jess, I need you to help Caroline understand what we do here, and how we do it." Matt hoped that she would say yes. To Matt's relief Jess nodded.

Jess introduced the rest of the team to Caroline.

Matt, Jess and Caroline quickly checked on Lester before heading down into the Operations Room. They took Caroline to Lester's office and sat down with her. Jess explained to her as best as she could about the anomalies. Caroline listened intently to Jess. She found this all too hard to believe but she was more inclined to believe Jess than Matt.

Maybe this was because she had seen the girl grow up. Grow into the lovely woman sitting opposite.

Maybe it was because she considered Jess to be family rather than a stranger.

Or maybe it was because she had another connection to Jess, one that even Jess didn't know about.

"So let me get my head around this. You investigate so called 'Anomalies'. Giant wormholes in time..." Jess and Matt nodded. "Wormholes which lead to the past and future. You managed to go to the future, and a creature, from the future, has come into this building and has bitten James?" Jess nodded in agreement. Her Aunt was accepting this far more readily than she expected. "So any medication that we give Lester could either make him better or make him worse."

"Exactly" said Jess.

"Hmm," Caroline sat deep in thought. "So what are your doctors doing to help?" Matt shook his head. He really didn't have any answers for her. This was unknown for him. Even in the future they had not come across cases such as Lester's. The only way they could find that out was by going to the Medical bay and asking.

Matt, Jess and Caroline went back the Medical bays. Caroline looked in on James. He looked worse than ever. His skin looking even paler than the night before.

Caroline demanded to speak to a doctor and be brought up to speed. She was told that they had taken a blood sample and were still investigating. Caroline asked to see the sample and was taken to the labs. Here they found Connor. He was staring down into a microscope.

"Matt this blood is very unusual." He looked across to Caroline. "Does she... know?" Matt nodded.

Caroline and Connor were introduced to each other.

"You're a doctor then?" Connor asked. Caroline nodded.

Connor showed her Lester's blood sample. "There's a strange parasite that keeps growing, multiplying every couple of hours." Connor looked at Caroline, he need to tell Matt that Lester was changing, but felt uneasy about telling him in from of Mrs Lester.

"What can we do to halt this?" Caroline asked. Matt asked her about what she thought she could do to help. Caroline suggested that she assist in monitoring her husband's illness. Maybe they could stop what was happening.

They were still standing around the microscope when an orderly came in. He whispered something to Connor.

"I'll be back in a minute." Connor followed the orderly out, shrugging his shoulders as he went.

Connor followed the orderly to Lester's bedside. "Take a look at this." The orderly pulled back the sleeve of Lester's pyjamas. The skin was turning a mottled grey green shade. Connor was about to touch it and then thought better of it and took his hand away. He instructed the orderly to remove a bit of this skin and a bit of Lester's normal skin and compare it under a microscope. I can't believe it he thought. He recalled Lester being bitten the previous day. Hmm.

Once the skin samples were collected he took them to look at underneath a microscope.

Matt and Caroline were still talking. Connor went in and asked if they could take a look at what he had under the slide. Matt looked at it and shook his head. Caroline took a look. She looked at it very carefully.

"I'm guessing that it's a skin sample." Connor raised his eyebrows. "Correct. What else do you see?"Caroline gasped.

"The skin is changing! It is definitely changing!" Caroline gaped. "How can this be?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Connor replied. Matt looked at the slides again. He looked at Connor. Matt knew what he had to do, but it involved going to the future.

Matt took Connor to one side. Before Matt could speak Connor piped up.

"Matt have you seen Lester recently?" Matt shook his head negatively. "He's got a growth on his arms. He's got a growth on his arms. It's almost as if he's changing. Changing, into one of those creatures!" Matt studied Connor for a moment and considered the information he had been presented with.

"I need to go back and find out where the first Predator originated. Connor, could you build another Anomaly Opening Device. Preferably hand-held."

"No!" Connor emphatically stated. He didn't want to build another one of those again. The last time he had built one; Phillip Burton had taken the Formula and built a large one. One that nearly destroyed the world. He was never building one of those again!

"Look you're going to have to build those Anomaly Opening Devices; they're the ones you used to track Helen, right?" Connor nodded.

"Unless you build the anomaly opening devices the future changes and along with it the past. Who knows what might happen. You may never end up being trapped in the Cretaceous! You and Abby may never get really close; she may not even become pregnant. Your whole past, present and future is at stake!" Matt looked at Connor. Connor would have to build the devices whether he wanted to or not.

The Anomaly Opening Devices had originated from somewhere and most probably originated from here. From there Helen Cutter had taken them and gone back to kill her husband, Nick. Without those devices, Danny, Connor and Abby would not have been stuck in the past. Nick Cutter would still be alive.

Connor slumped against a wall. He thought about what Matt had said. For the fifth time that week he felt awful.

* * *

><p><strong>What was he going to do? <strong>

**Did he go ahead and build another Anomaly opening device?**

**Did he concentrate on helping Lester get better?**


	5. Chapter 5

**The Changing Face of Lester. **

**Here we meet Lester's wife. Continuation from 'Do you remember me?' **

**Lester has been bitten by a Future Predator. **

**Chapter 5**

* * *

><p><em>"Unless you build the anomaly opening devices the future changes and along with it the past. Who knows what might happen. You may never end up being trapped in the Cretaceous! You and Abby may never get really close; she may not even become pregnant. Your whole past, present and future is at stake!" Matt looked at Connor. Connor would have to build the devices whether he wanted to or not.<em>

_The Anomaly Opening Devices had originated from somewhere and most probably originated from here. From there Helen Cutter had taken them and gone back to kill her husband, Nick. Without those devices, Danny, Connor and Abby would not have been stuck in the past. Nick Cutter would still be alive._

* * *

><p>Connor decided that he had to speak to Abby. The last time she gave advice he had ignored it and now he felt terrible. This time he was going to ask her opinion.<p>

"Becker, have you seen Abby?" Becker pointed in the direction of the ladies loos.

Connor pointed to the door. Becker grinned as he nodded. Oh boy, what was he going to do now? He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and nudged the door ajar.

"Abby!" he shouted from the door. "Abby are you in there?"

He heard groaning and panicked. He saw Emily chatting to Becker. "Emily? Could you?" He pointed to the door.

Emily went in to check on Abby. They came out a few minutes later. Abby, still looking very pale.

"Are you O.K?" Abby saw the concern in Connor's face. She smiled, a very small smile, but she smiled.

"It's all your fault!" Abby poked a finger in his chest and walked off in the direction of the Break-Room. Connor looking very bewildered followed.

He watched as she made herself some toast. "Want some?" Connor shook his head.

"Are you alright... And what's my fault? What have I done?" Connor really couldn't understand why she was behaving the way she was. Being sick one minute, and then eating the next.

"Oh Connor... You are such a dipstick." Abby smiled. "Don't worry it's the symptoms of a very healthy pregnancy."

Connor grinned and watched as Abby slathered lots of ketchup on her toast.

"Urgh! Are you really going to eat that?" Connor's stomach curdled at the thought.

Abby grinned as she took a huge bite. Her eyes closed as she savoured the taste. She smacked her lips. That woke her taste buds up. She watched Connor as he screwed up his face, and then giggled.

"I take it you didn't just come looking for me to ask if I was O.K.?"

Connor took her by the hand and led her to the sofa. He retold the conversation he had had with Matt. How he wanted Connor to make a Hand-held version of the AOD. How Matt thought that if Connor didn't make them then he would be changing the future and also the past.

Abby looked into his eyes and saw the anguish in them. How he really didn't want to make them at all. Secretly Abby agreed with Matt. If Connor didn't make those devices then they would be playing around with the past too. She tried to make Connor understand that he would have to follow Matt's instructions. It was how Helen had managed to open anomalies.

Abby reminded Connor that Helen was carrying one when she opened the anomaly in the future and went back to the past. She had tried to kill to first humans. How they had got stuck in the Cretaceous. Abby hugged Connor pleased that he wasn't wearing any aftershave. The smell of him was just... so... enticing!

"You know something Conn? ... I really do love you ... and I'm sure you'll make the right decision."

Abby left him sitting on the sofa, alone with just his thoughts. She went to find Matt.

Matt was giving a tour of the menagerie to Caroline. He stood in the background as Caroline looked at the creatures. Her eyes kept focusing on one in particular. The mammoth. Abby spoke up.

Matt was giving a tour of the menagerie to Caroline. He stood in the background as Caroline looked at the creatures. Her eyes kept focusing on one in particular. The mammoth. Abby spoke up.

"Manny the mammoth saved Lester's life once." Caroline turned around to look at Abby. The implications of what she had said barely registering.

"And you are?" Abby introduced herself. Caroline finally registered what Abby said. "That mammoth came through an anomaly and saved my husband's life?" Caroline gaped for a moment. She licked her top lip. She turned around and stared at the mammoth. "Why did he not tell me?"

"Official Secrets Act" Abby explained that they all had to sign a copy when they started work here. Caroline nodded in acceptance. There were things that went on here that he just wasn't allowed to share. Slowly she was beginning to understand everything. Abby turned to Matt.

"Can I borrow you for a minute Matt?" Suddenly she caught a whiff of something.

"Matt ... Are you wearing aftershave?" Matt nodded. Abby took three steps back and took a deep breath. "Don't come any closer... Your aftershave really smells!" Abby wrinkled her nose and stepped further back.

Matt looked bemused. Aftershave?

"Could you give us a moment Caroline?" Caroline wandered back to the Medical Bays to be with James.

Abby waited for Caroline to step out and shut the door. She then spoke about Connor, his thoughts about making an AOD. How reluctant he was about the whole thing.

"Did you want me to speak to him?" Matt asked.

"No it's O.K. I'll speak to him again." Abby turned to revisit Connor. She would have to be a little more persuasive with him.

Abby found Connor still sat in the break room elbows on his knees and head in his hands. The sight of him like this made her weak at the knees, looking all vulnerable and lost. Connor was deep in thought and did not notice Abby until she sat down beside him.

"Penny for them..." She continued when Connor looked at her blankly. "...your thoughts"

Connor shook his head. He didn't want to do this. Making a hand-held Anomaly opening Device was asking for trouble wasn't it? How it would change everything. How he wished Cutter was still alive. Abby disagreed. She reminded him that without that device she would not have had time alone with him. She reminded him that it was in the Cretaceous that they had really bonded, and where she properly fell in love him. Without it they would not be as close as they were now.

"I need you to do this, not for Lester, not for Matt, but for me, and for us! You have to make these devices so that Helen can steal them from the future. We follow her and end up in the Cretaceous. That much has got to happen, to us, for us to be together... now!" Connor stared at Abby. The enormity of the situation finally sinking in.

Connor gulped. He still didn't like what he was being asked to do, but he would do it.

"You know something Abs; I'm going to do this, for us!" Connor pulled Abby closer and gave her a hug. Abby leaned into his chest and breathed deeply. The smell of him was just... Making her bones melt... so enticing...so alluring...and so Connor.

Connor kissed her quickly got up and walked off towards his lab. Abby watched Connor's bum as he walked off. She grinned as she imagined him walking down the corridor wearing nothing but his birthday suit.

* * *

><p><strong>Will Connor be able to build an AOD?<strong>

**Will he be in time to save Lester's life?**

**Let me know what you think. **


	6. Chapter 6

**The Changing Face of Lester. **

**Here we meet Lester's wife. Continuation from 'Do you remember me?' **

**Lester has been bitten by a Future Predator.**

**Chapter 6 **

* * *

><p>Caroline stood next to James. If he had been bitten by an unknown creature, how contagious was he? Should he be in isolation? Is it safe to hold his hand? She stood by his side for what seemed an age. Not knowing what to do. For the first time in her career she felt helpless. Helpless because she could not do anything.<p>

Caroline recalled several instances when her quick thinking had saved a patient from dying. She recalled the 7/7 bombings in London in 2005. She had been in the Accident & Emergency rooms that day. Probably one of the worst disasters she had the misfortune to witness and deal with. Hundreds of people coming in with varying degrees of injuries. Horrific injuries, some too painful to remember. She sighed; the memory of that day was overwhelming. A tear rolled down her face. That particular memory was best left locked up in box in the corner of her mind.

Caroline was at Lester's bedside when Matt found her. He stood just outside the door for a moment just watching. He watched as she picked up Lester's charts and began studying them. Typical doctor he thought. Matt had spoken to the doctor on duty before coming down. They doctors had sedated Lester. He would sleep peacefully until the medication wore off.

Caroline felt as if she was being watched. She turned to see Matt standing at the door. He apologised for disturbing her. She shook her head, he wasn't disturbing her.

She voiced her questions regarding Lester. Should he be in isolation and was he contagious. Matt really didn't know. However, Caroline's Medical training kicked in.

"You say you know next to nothing about this creature that has bitten him. You said that they were here in the ARC. I take it that you've killed them? Where are the bodies? Can I see them? Can I do some tests?" Caroline had so many questions and not enough answers.

"Whoa there. Not so fast. Why do you want to know?" Matt questioned. Caroline sighed.

"I need to be doing something, just standing here; not doing anything is driving me mad! I need to do something useful!" Matt heard the frustration in her voice, saw the anger and emotion in her eyes. She was a doctor, and the best way she could help Lester was by doing her job.

"O.K. What do you suggest?" Caroline looked away, towards James.

"He needs to be in isolation. We don't know how contagious he is and the less people that come into contact with him the better." Caroline paused and thought what else could be done. Finally she spoke. "I need to run tests on the creatures you killed, Blood samples, DNA samples, Tissue samples... and a lab to do tests in." Caroline paused to look back at Matt.

"I'll get it sorted."

"Thank you" she breathed. Pleased to be able to able to do something.

Matt led Caroline to one of the labs by Connors office.

"Connors lab is down there, I'm going to join him. If you need me just shout."

Caroline walked into the pristine lab and looked around, pleased at what she saw. Lester had made sure that only the best equipment was kept. There were test tubes, vials of every description, computers, microscopes, fridges, epi-pens, and every medication available, even an X-ray machine. Here she had everything she needed.

She would carry out various tests. One would tell her if he was contagious, one would tell her how long he had left before he was no longer himself, another would tell her if there was any medication she could use to halt or even better, reverse the process. Other tests would be carried out on the dead creatures.

Caroline settled down doing various experiments and was soon oblivious to anything going on around her. She didn't notice a figure walk past her towards Connor's lab.

-o-o-

Matt joined Connor in his Lab.

"You O.K.?" Matt studied Connor. He seemed to be deep in thought. "Something bothering you?"

"Not really, I finally understand why I have to do this, doesn't mean I have to like it."

"So what's the problem?"

Connor looked up. He took in Matt's stance. When he and Abby had come back from the Cretaceous, Matt had been friendly enough. Then Connor had been introduced to Phillip Burton, he had been so busy trying to impress him that he had spent less time with the other members of the team. Matt really wanted to help, he wanted to save the future, the planet, and unlike Phillip, he did not want to do it for monetary gain.

"I'm trying to figure out how I can get this massive proto-type AOD into a hand held casing. Could you be my bouncing board?"

"Sure, fire away." Matt stood for a moment, watching him; he understood why the young man was being so evasive. The man had just created the first man-made AOD, only to see it being put into use devastating the world he lived in, destroying everything. He'd even been dragged into the future so that he could see firsthand the massive repercussions his work had caused. Hell if he was in Connor's shoes, he'd be reluctant too.

From outside Connor's lab Abby watched the two men chatting easily. She couldn't hear the conversation, but the two men seemed to be just chatting, or rather Connor was doing most of the talking. She thought about getting involved. Then she decided that they were better left to hammer things through themselves. She'd come back in an hour. She walked off to feed the creatures in the menagerie.

The ADD's alarm sounded. Abby quickly pressed the button on her comms link. The alarm ceased as quickly as it had started.

"What's going on Jess?" Abby questioned. Jess quickly checked all her screens.

"Seems like a false alarm, sorry."

Abby was approaching the menagerie when she saw a shadow slipping inside. Abby froze for a moment. She crept up to the door. Slowly she poked her head around so that she could see who was inside. She pressed a button on her comms link and then stopped. It was Matt! Abby paused for a moment. Hadn't she just seen Matt in Connor's office? What was he doing here? How did he get past her so quickly?

Abby went into the menagerie and questioned Matt. He stood there and looked at her. He looked different, she couldn't place why. She was sure he had not been wearing that pale blue shirt this morning. There were shadows around his eyes showing that he had not slept well in the last twenty-four hours. He seemed very agitated and troubled.

"Abby, I need you to do a few things for me?" Matt sounded very calm. He was here for a reason and Abby wanted to know what.

"What are you doing here? Weren't you in Connor's office?" Abby sounded confused. _Am I seeing things?_ She wondered.

Matt led her to a chair and sat her down. "Connor's invented a hand-held anomaly device, but it's taken longer than we expected. I've had to come back so that we have more time to save Lester. I've written a letter explaining everything. I want you to... wait... What time is it now?" He looked up at the clock on the wall. "I need you to wait until 3 o'clock until you do anything. I want you to read this letter, act on it and then I want you to give this letter to Connor and myself. Do you understand me?" Abby stood for a moment, digesting this information.

"Why do I have to wait until 3 o'clock before doing anything?" Abby wondered out loud.

"Because Caroline has to make her analysis on Lester. She needs to come to her own conclusions on Lester before she'll act on any information you give to her. I've just arrived three hours too early." Matt made sure that Abby had understood him before pressing a button on the device he was carrying. He opened up an anomaly and left closing it quickly behind him. The ADD sounded the alarm briefly and then turned off just as quickly as it had started.

They heard Jess' voice over the tanoy. "False Alarm."

Abby sat down for a moment. She opened the letter. In it were details that she had to give to Caroline and then some formulae notes written in Connors scrawling handwriting.

All she had to do now was ensure the correct people had this information at 3 o'clock.

Abby thought about Jess, would she know what had just happened here? She looked up to the camera in the menagerie. She smiled as she saw Rex sitting on the camera, his tail hanging down over the lens watching her. Rex chirped a greeting cocking his head from side to side. Jess would not have been able to see a thing. Not with Rex in the way. She opened the letter and read it. Everything made sense. Now all she had to do was wait.

Abby decided that she had to make herself busy. After all, she had three hours to kill.

She decided to feed and clean the animals in the menagerie.

Two hours later...

Caroline sat in the lab next to Connors' running various tests.

She ran one test taking the blood from a predator and compared it to a healthy person's. She decided to use her own blood for this test. Then she compared the blood taken from a predator and compared it to Lester's blood. His blood was definitely changing and becoming closer to that of a predator. She looked at skin samples, and then finally she looked at the DNA from a predator.

It was all slowly beginning to make sense. Caroline looked again at Human DNA and Predator DNA. She need to confirm her findings with another person. She went to find Matt and found him where he said he'd be. In Connors' lab. She knocked on the door, and waited to be buzzed in.

Caroline asked both men to join her in the lab to look at something under the microscopes. They followed her wondering what they would be looking at. Caroline pointed to two microscopes sitting side by side on the bench. They were connected to two screens. Each screen showing exactly what was under the microscope.

"Could you have a look at both samples and tell me what you see?"

Connor piped up when he looked at the screen.

"I'm guessing now. _Deoxyribonucleic acid?" _ Matt raised his eyebrows, Connor immediately understood. "DNA in layman's terms." Caroline nodded.

"One sample is from the creature and one is from Lester, Could you tell which is which?" Caroline asked.

Both men shook heads in unison. "No."

"They look almost identical. Which is the creature? " Connor couldn't believe what he was looking at.

Caroline pointed to the one on the left.

"Are you sure there's no mix up?" Matt tried to understand the difference between the two. Connor pointed to a few differences.

"This is definitely Human DNA. You can tell here and here. You see this one's a female." He turned to look at Caroline. "But this would mean... This Future Predator... Is... Was ... Human?" Connor gaped.

Matt checked the two screens. He was no expert when it came to these things but even he could tell he was looking at pictures that were relatively the same.

"That's why I wanted you to check... To get a second opinion and to make sure that my findings are correct. I'm still finding it hard to believe that that creature... was human at one point." Caroline looked at Matt. "If I'm correct, then that Creature is what James will become." She turned around to look at the lifeless body of a predator.

"You could be right; when we saw Lester a few hours ago his arm had growths on it."

Connor looked pensive.

"I know this a long shot but have you tried freezing the blood?"

"I've got a few blood samples in the fridge if you want a look." Caroline took some test tubes full of blood from the fridge.

"We'll need a fresh sample of blood." Connor took the tray from Caroline and set it on the bench alongside the microscopes.

"Care to explain?" Matt was getting left behind on this particular conversation. On the way to the medical bay Connor told them the story of the "Fungus Man."

Connor recalled the time when a fungus had erupted in one of the labs and he realised that freezing it was the only way of killing it. He remembered it too well. He had been trapped in the lab and had nearly frozen to death himself. He wondered if they could somehow reverse the process in Lester by freezing Lester.

"Cryogenics?" Caroline questioned.

"Yeah, exactly like that." Connor felt really confident that this could work. "It would slow down the process long enough to buy us time to find a cure or it could kill the bacteria completely."

Caroline nodded. Even if Connor didn't have a medical background, he seemed to know what he was talking about.

Caroline, Matt and Connor put on the special "scrubs" before going in to see Lester.

Caroline gasped as she took in the empty bed.

Where was Lester?

Matt and Connor quickly entered the bay and shut the door quickly.

Matt reached for the gun he kept at the back of his waistband of his jeans.

Suddenly there was a loud **_THUD_** as something fell from the ceiling.

* * *

><p><strong>Please read and review.<strong>

**Would love to know what you think?**


	7. Chapter 7

**The Changing Face of Lester. **

**Here we meet Lester's wife. Continuation from 'Do you remember me?' **

**Lester has been bitten by a Future Predator. **

**(This scene just had to be written. )**

**;'(**

* * *

><p>Chapter 7<p>

Connor and Matt ran over to the form laying on the floor. Matt with his gun in his gun in his hand poised to shoot. It groaned as it lay there.

"Lester?" Matt looked at Connor and then at Caroline.

"Well, don't just stand there help me up!" Lester shouted. Matt and Connor looked at Lester. He had more growths on his skin and he looked worse than the last time they had seen him. Even his nails had grown at an alarming rate.

"James?" Caroline whispered, her voice quivering uncertainly. "What's happening to you James?" Her soft voice barely registering to Matt and Connor.

Matt and Connor supported Lester and carried him back to the bed. Connor looked at his hands before settling him back onto the bed. They looked and felt different.

"Are you O.K. Lester?" Matt asked. "How did you get up there?"

"What?" Lester shouted grumpily. "Up where?"

Matt looked up at the ceiling and then back at Lester.

"Oh, for goodness sake have you lost your mind? How could I get up there?" Lester glared at Matt. The man was sounding ridiculous.

"Never mind, what's the last thing you remember?"

"I... I... I must have stood up to get out of bed... and then..." Lester paused, trying to think of an explanation. He couldn't remember what he was doing and why he was sprawled across the floor. "I don't remember." he muttered finally.

"James..." Caroline spoke softly. Lester turned to face his wife. He heard the worry in her voice and saw the concern in her eyes.

"Carol..." James realised why she was here. Matt must have let her stay. For a moment he just stared at his wife. She had always been there for him and she was here now. It was very rare for Lester to need medical help. But whenever he had needed her she was there. Despite everything she was still here for him. He suddenly felt very guilty. Lester felt a lump appear from nowhere in his throat.

Connor cleared his throat.

"Need a fresh blood sample." He pointed to the tray in Caroline's hands.

"I'm not letting you anywhere near me with a needle!" Lester raised his voice again.

"Relax James, I'll do it." Caroline gave the tray to Connor and picked up a syringe.

"Must you?" Lester whimpered.

Caroline nodded and smiled slowly. Lester softened.

"I'd rather you did it anyway. Don't let _him_ anywhere near me with that thing." James gestured towards Connor.

He stared at the wall opposite as Caroline gently inserted the needle and withdrew blood.

"There all done." She whispered. Lester snapped his head back.

"That was quick." Lester watched as Caroline began to look him over.

She looked at his arms. He wondered what conclusions she had come to. He had seen the changing skin colour and that had scared him. They looked worse now, almost if they had little suction pads on his hands. His finger nails were growing too. Caroline took a deep breath not wanting to show any emotion in front of Lester.

"I'll be back later." With that she walked out.

"We'll see you later too." Matt gestured for Connor to Follow Caroline out.

"Matt can I have a word?" Lester's voice was barely audible. Matt stopped and turned around.

Connor understood this to mean that Lester wanted to talk to Matt alone. He shut the door gently behind him.

Matt walked back to Lester's bedside.

"How is she coping?"

"As well as she can, she been doing a lot of the analysis on your condition. Coming up with a lot of ideas. She's good at what she does Lester." Matt spoke truthfully as he could. How well she was coping emotionally he didn't know.

James looked at his hands and his arms, he was slowly changing and it didn't make him feel good.

"Matt... If ... If the worst happens..."

"Oh, you'll be fine, up and about in no time. Nothing's going to happen to you." Matt chastised.

"No, let me finish..." Lester gulped. The thought of what he was about to say not sitting too well with him.

"If the worst happens... I... and I turn into one of those ... _CREATURES_... I... want _YOU_ to be the one to shoot me." Lester pleaded. "And please arrange for someone to look after Caroline for me." Matt slowly nodded. The implications of what Lester had said weighing heavily on his mind. He prayed to god he wouldn't have to do that. Lester's eyes filled and he looked away. He waited for a moment and when it became clear that Lester wanted to be alone, left.

Becker was at his workstation looking at his Security screens. These screens showed where everyone was, what they were doing, and if there were any intruders in the building. It was one of the security measures Becker had put into place after Danny had broken into the ARC on several occasions. He stared at the screen. Something did not make sense. He looked over to Jess who was as usual sitting in front of the ADD. He sauntered over. Jess could access the same screens from her screen.

"Jess..." Becker walked up behind her and leaned over.

"Hmm..," she looked up at him, as ever pleased to see him.

"Can you look at this for me?" He paused before tapped on her keyboard. When she nodded okay, he continued. Jess was possessive over the ADD and didn't like anyone else touching it. He called up the security screens. He pointed to each screen in turn and accounted for everyone in the building.

"But where's Abby?" He finished. Jess looked at the screens. She checked the car park. Abby's car was still there so she must still be in the building. She checked the screen for the menagerie, maybe Abby was in there. She creased her brow and pointed to a screen. This particular one was of "Manny the Mammoth's" holding pen.

"Who do these belong to?" She pointed to a pair of legs sticking out from the edge of the screen. Becker smiled he knew that Jess would find an answer.

They looked at each other and both gasped. "**_ABBY_**!"

* * *

><p><strong>Will Becker get to Abby in time?<strong>

**Will they be able to find a cure for Lester or will Matt have to shoot him?**


	8. Chapter 8

**The Changing Face of Lester. **

**Here we meet Lester's wife. Continuation from 'Do you remember me?' **

**Lester has been bitten by a Future Predator. **

Becker and Jess looked at each other and both gasped. "_**ABBY**_!"

"Raise Matt and Connor on their comms, get them to meet me there!" Becker grabbed his EMD and ran towards the menagerie, adrenaline surging through his veins. The only thought coursing through his mind was 'Don't want to lose another team member!' and 'Not again, mustn't lose Abby again!'

Jess tapped a few buttons on her console enabling her to speak to Connor.

Connor, Caroline and Matt had reconvened in the lab where Caroline was conducting her investigations.

Connor's comms crackled, his mouth fell open and all colour drained from his face as he listened to Jess.

He looked up at Matt, a look of sheer horror on his face.

"ABBY!" he shouted. He ran off as fast as he could with Matt behind him as they made their way towards the menagerie. Caroline followed at a slower pace. She knew something had happened concerning the young girl she had met earlier but could not tell what.

Connor arrived at the menagerie shortly after Becker. He saw Abby slumped on the floor inside Manny the mammoth's pen. An empty bucket of water lay on the floor. She must have filled the mammoth's water trough before collapsing. A knot grew inside Connor's stomach and he could not breathe. Matt edged past him and went further inside the pen. The three men felt helpless as Abby lay between the mammoth and them. Becker stood furthest into the pen, EMD in hand. Matt had drawn his hand gun and stood facing the mammoth. Connor just stood, gaping, not knowing what to do. If the mammoth went any closer to the water trough, it would actually crush Abby.

Manny turned to look at the three humans who had come into his space. The one in the black did not look friendly at all; he had one of those large hurting sticks in his hands. The other human's hair was too short to be this human's partner. Then he saw him. Long, dark, unkempt hair and brown eyes. Yes, the human furthest from him was this human's mate.

He stood for a moment and looked at Connor. 'Well, come and get her then.' He thought. Soon it became clear that the humans were waiting for him. He edged closer. Watching where he put his feet. He didn't want to hurt this human, she was nice. She fed him and made sure he was clean and looked after. He reached into the water trough and half-filled his trunk with water. He positioned his trunk over her face and gently let the water fall onto her face.

The water falling on Abby's face woke her up. She wiped it from her face and took in her surroundings. She gasped as she realised where she was. She saw how close she was to Manny. A knot began to form in her stomach too. She looked past Manny and saw Becker and Matt. She searched for Connor and then gulped when she finally saw him.

"Don't move Abby," Matt shouted as he saw her eyes flutter open.

"I wasn't planning to." Abby squeaked, unsure that anyone had heard her. She watched to see what Manny would do.

The mammoth reached down to Abby's waist with his trunk. Ever so gently he wound it round. Abby paniced and grasped onto the trunk as tightly as she could as the mammoth lifted her up gently off the floor. Manny positioned the bottom of his trunk so that Abby could put her feet down on it. Abby dared not to breath and she became terrified as the mammoth began to walk. Where was he taking her and what would he do?

Becker froze. Even if he managed to fire the EMD, there was a possibility that Manny could drop and kill Abby, especially if he fell on top of her. He gritted his teeth and lowered the EMD. There was no point in taking aim unless the Creature let go of Abby.

"Don't move Connor, stand your ground!" Matt seemed to read Manny quite well and he shouted. "He knows that you're Abby's mate and he's bringing her to you." At least I hope that's what he's doing, he finished in his head.

Connor did as he was told and didn't move. He couldn't move even if he wanted to, he was rooted to the spot. The knot inside Connor's stomach grew and his world that was Abby flashed in front of his eyes. If anything happened to Abby or their baby it would destroy him completely. He tried to swallow the lump that was forming in his throat, managed to do so with great difficulty.

Memories flashed through his head. Memories of when they first met, when Connor had saved her from the Mer creatures, being lost in the cretaceous, Abby telling him that she loved him, making love for the first time, kissing her for the first time, coming back home and lots more tumbled through his head like a clip on Youtube.

Manny walked straight past Becker and Matt, closer to Connor. When he reached a metre away he stopped. He let Abby's legs down gently until she was standing. He loosened his trunk from around Abby. He let Connor reached forward and take her from him. He stood for a moment and blew hot air into Connor's face. He let his trunk down gently and swept it ever so gently across her forehead. It looked strangely like a mother caressing her sick child. Everyone took deep breaths as Connor pulled Abby closer and hugged her, the danger now having passed. The mammoth ever so carefully retreated. Connor watched the mammoth as it withdrew.

There were three men in the room and yet the mammoth had brought Abby to him.

_Were these creatures capable of thought?_

Its actions had seemed very gentle too.

_Were these creatures capable of caring?_

* * *

><p>Abby leaned into Connor and closed her eyes, relieved that everything was now over.<p>

Connor took another deep breath and kissed Abby's forehead and picked her up. He looked into her face, pleased that she now seemed to be resting. He carried her up to the medical bay, with Matt, Becker and Caroline following closely behind.

He set her down on a gurney.

"Do you mind if I do an examination" Caroline asked Abby. Abby shook her head, still too shocked for words. She held Connor's hand firmly. Caroline noted the clasped hands.

"Are you two a couple?" She enquired looking at Connor and Abby in turn. Connor and Abby simply nodded. Caroline asked if Matt and Becker could wait outside.

Caroline took out her stethoscope and inserted the ends into her ears. She checked Abby's heartbeat. It was raised but not too much. Anyone's heartbeat would be raised if they had been through what Abby had been through just now. Caroline frowned as her attention focused on something else. She adjusted the stethoscope further down Abby's body, and listened, she moved the stethoscope further down again until it rested in her abdomen and listened. Caroline smiled.

"Did you know that you are pregnant?"

Abby finally found her voice. "Yes, I realised myself a week ago" she grinned.

"Have you been to see your GP yet?"

"No"

"So you haven't heard this?" Caroline positioned the stethoscope again on her abdomen and gave her the ear pieces to listen.

Abby gasped at the most wonderful sound in the world. She looked at Conner as she listened and her heart melted.

"What's wrong?" Connor wondered if there was anything wrong with the baby.

"Here have a listen." Abby handed the earpieces to Connor.

Connor's mouth fell open; a slow smile began to spread across his face.

"Baby? … Our baby?" He looked at Abby who nodded and then to Caroline who spoke.

"It's very early, but it's there" Caroline smiled. She loved watching parents listening to their baby's heartbeat for the very first time. The awesome sound always melted the hardest of people.

"It's like a little train" Connor bounced on his knees and squealed.

They heard footsteps which stopped outside the door and then a gentle tapping. Caroline walked over to the door and after a nod from Connor and Abby, she opened it. Jess came into the Medical room first, followed by Matt and Becker.

"Abby!" Jess had been watching the events unfold on a screen of the ADD, and had been terrified for the safety of her friend.

"I remember going into the pen to give the mammoth some water, and then I don't remember anything until it sprayed water in my face. I must have passed out."

* * *

><p>Caroline took Matt aside for a moment and suggested Abby being sent home, she would benefit from the rest. Matt agreed, with Phillip gone, Lester out of action, he would be the one in charge of dealing with staffing.<p>

Abby shook her head. She wanted to stay here until things had been resolved. "What time is it anyway?" she asked to anyone who could answer.

"3.30" the answer came from three different directions.

"Oh god, I need to give you this." Abby unsuccessfully tried to reach into her back pocket. Then she held onto Connor and rolled towards him. Once she had clear access to her back pocket she pulled out an envelope.

She passed it to Matt who opened it immediately. She explained about the ADD's alarms that morning and how she had been asked to pass it on by Matt. The team knew what had to be done now.

Matt passed the letter to Connor, who upon reading his scribbled formula had nodded and giving Abby a quick kiss, set off for his lab.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you like that.<strong>

**For once I thought I'd have no cliffhanger!**


	9. Chapter 9

**The Changing Face of Lester. **

**Here we meet Lester's wife. Continuation from 'Do you remember me?' **

**Lester has been bitten by a Future Predator. **

Matt and Caroline were huddled together preparing slides to go under the microscope, when Abby appeared behind them. She still looked pale and very tired.

"What you looking at?"

"Lester's blood, we're trying to figure out a way of reversing what's happening to him."

Caroline adjusted the magnification on the screen until the image was clear.

Matt knew he was looking a blood samples but could not decipher which was which.

Caroline pointed. "This one is Lester's that had been stored in the fridge for a few hours and this one is the one we have just taken." Matt looked closer. "This second one has more bacteria."

"It's the one we just took." In Caroline's mind there was no doubt that keeping the blood cold they had managed to slow down the growth of bacteria.

"You mean by keeping Lester cold we could slow down the process." Matt assked, pleased that they had come to some sort of conclusion. Caroline nodded.

"That's what we'll have to do then." Matt picked up a phone to speak to a doctor at the medical bay. He left instructions to keep Lester's room as cold as they could.

"How cold do you want it to be kept? Minus five?" Matt took the receiver away from his ear while he spoke to Caroline.

"Minus ten" she replied to Matt who smiled. He was glad he had not been the one to specify the temperature.

"Lester's going to hate you!" Abby commented.

Caroline went to check on Lester. He had been sedated and the air conditioning blew icy cold. So she stood outside the room looking in through the glass window. They would have to wait a while for the treatment to work.

Connor and Matt had holed up in Connor's lab and Caroline felt obliged to leave them to continue their work. She began to wander through the building and ended up at the hub.

Here she found Jess, Becker, Emily and Abby. She mentally scanned Abby for any signs of ill health. She seemed to be okay, she was sitting down, munching on an apple, chatting to Jess who was monitoring the screens in front of her.

Caroline sighed as she studied Jess. Jess seemed to be monitoring some sort of computer program. When had this girl grown up? How old was she now?

Caroline cast her mind back to when Jess had been born. She was a few months younger than her own son Andrew. So that would make her ... nineteen. Caroline's breath hitched as memories came flooding back.

"Auntie Caroline... Are you okay?" Jess turned to look at the woman she thought of as her aunt.

A tear rolled down Caroline's cheek. How _could_ she have hated the young girl that was Jess?

Caroline stared for a moment. She knew that Lester was changing into this creature. Surely Jess was entitled to an explanation. The girl had lived for too long not knowing the truth.

"Jess..." Caroline's breath hitched. "Is there somewhere we can talk?" Jess smiled.

"Uncle James's office is free. It's just here."

Caroline followed Jess into the fishbowl that was Lester's office.

She stared at the big chair behind the magnificent mahogany desk. That would be where her husband usually sat. She thought about sitting in it for a moment, and then shook her head. That _Seat_ belonged to James, and no-one but James should sit in it.

Caroline sat in one of the other chairs in the room and instructed Jess to do so too.

What she was about to tell Jess would change her life and the what she thought about her husband _forever._

Caroline took a deep breath. "There's no easy way to say this, and I'm sure your family would want you to know, but Jonathan and Karen are not your real parents." Caroline watched Jess as the young girl went pale. "Just after you were born your birth mother came to James to tell her that she could not look after you. You were three months old, and she was dying. She had developed a brain tumour and it was too late for treatment. At the time I had given birth myself, Hannah was three, and Andrew had only been five months old." Caroline paused struggling with herself, but knew she would not forgive herself if she did not tell the young lady the entire truth. She looked up to look Jess straight in the eyes.

"I could not cope with James's infidelity. In short I felt that I could not look after you. Jonathan and Karen had stepped forward. Karen had been having problems conceiving and when the opportunity came along to adopt you, they jumped at it. The pain of James's betrayal had been too much for me to handle, and it was the main reason that they decided to move to Australia after the Adoption. It had nearly been the end of our marriage. As you grew older, the pain subsided and your family brought you back. I had buried this so deeply, but now, I feel that you should know... James is in such a bad way. I'm not sure what else we can do to help him... After all he is your Father." Caroline looked at Jess for a moment. She wasn't sure how she felt about the young girl. As Jess had grown up, Caroline had learned to love her as a niece, but she could not accept her as anything else.

Jess digested the information for a moment.

"So Uncle James had an affair whilst you were pregnant with Andrew?" The facts had not sunk in and she still referred to James as her uncle.

'James Lester was her _Father_...?' tears welled in her eyes, and she ran from the room, her high heeled, pink shoes clattering as she ran.

Caroline screwed up her eyes and she wept. Wept for the husband who was slowly slipping away. Wept for the young girl who had just been told about her father. Wept because she had been the one to force their separation.


	10. Chapter 10

**The Changing Face of Lester. **

**Here we meet Lester's wife. Continuation from 'Do you remember me?' **

**Lester has been bitten by a Future Predator. **

**Jess has just discovered that she is Lester's daughter.**

Chapter 10

* * *

><p>Caroline screwed up her eyes and she wept.<p>

Wept for the husband who was slowly slipping away.

Wept for the young girl who had just been told about her father.

Wept because she had been the one to force their separation.

* * *

><p>Becker turned as he heard someone running. It was Jess; she seemed to be running away from Lester's office. He watched Caroline as she sat there with tears streaming down her face. He indicated to Abby and Emily to see to Caroline while he went in search of Jess.<p>

Becker found Jess in the locker room. Hiding behind the door, sobbing.

"Jess...? Are you okay...? Is there anything I can do?" Becker flinched as Jess threw herself into his arms. He stood for a moment not knowing if he should hug her back and then gave in to common sense and hugged her. They stood for an age, just the two of them caught up in their embrace, he couldn't tell just when he had started to stroke her hair and it just felt the right thing to do.

Jess pushed away from Becker as her sobbing subsided.

"What's wrong Jess?" Becker whispered. He couldn't understand the sudden change of mood. She had been fine before she went to talk to Caroline.

"Did Caroline say something?" Becker deducted that it must have been something that Caroline had said.

Jess nodded. "It's a long story..."

"I've all the time in the world."

Jess looked up at him. "In a nutshell..." Becker nodded for her continue. The suspense was killing him. "Lester... Lester..."

"What about Lester...? Is he going to be okay...?" Jess shook her head. Fresh tears began streaming down her face. "Is Lester Dying...?" Becker held his breath. 'Not another team member in danger!' he thought.

Jess screwed up her eyes and nodded. "There's more... James Lester is..." Jess paused to sob. "James Lester is my ... Father!" she sobbed harder as she finally admitted the truth the she had been told only moments ago.

Becker could have sworn that he heard breaking glass, or maybe that was his heart shattering into a thousand pieces. 'Jess Parker was... The Boss's Daughter!' He could almost see a sign tattooed across her forehead _'Do Not Touch!'_ Lester would sack him first and then kill him if he knew how he felt about his daughter. He made a mental note to keep his distance in future. For the moment he wanted to make Jess feel better.

"How is that possible?" Becker pulled her to one of the benches to sit down on. Jess recounted the story her Aunt had told her. The reality sinking in as she told Becker.

"That doesn't make sense... James Lester and you being a Parker?"

"My mother Karen is Lester's sister" Jess snorted as she realised her mistake. "Well adopted mother. My real mother died when I was just a baby." Jess gulped.

They sat for a moment, Becker not knowing what to say. Jess's mind was in turmoil as she struggled to come to terms with bombshell that Caroline had dropped. She had never felt anything but love for her 'Uncle James' and' Auntie Caroline', but now she was not so sure. She still loved them but… How did she continue her relationship with those around her? She loved Jonathan and Karen as if she would love her real parents, but then until a few moments ago she had not known anything different.

She would have to get used to speaking to them differently too. What was she supposed to call them? Did she start calling Lester 'Dad'? What would she call Caroline? She wasn't exactly her Mum. Making her decision she took a deep breath and stood up, jolting Becker out of his thoughts.

"Becker will you come with me?" she said drying her eyes with her hands.

"Where to?"

"I want to go to the medical Bay to see…" She struggled with what to call him, and then settled with… "Lester."

"Sure, but first you might want to wash your face." Becker led her to one of the washbasins in the locker room. Jess looked into the mirror above the basin. Her eyes were red and puffy; her mascara had run leaving her looking even worse. Slowly she began to scrub her face, removing all traces of make-up, while Becker went in search of a towel. He came back with a small towel and smiled. She really did look different without any make-up. He watched her re-apply her make-up, wishing that she didn't wear so much. One day he would tell her, but not today, she was far too upset and he didn't want to upset her even further.

"Ready?" he asked as she put away her handbag. She nodded.

He wondered if he should crook his arm for her to hold and then decided against it. It would only make matters worse later. Instead he gestured with the palm of his hand, indicating that she should go first.

They stood outside the medical room, watching through the glass after an orderly had told them that they could not go in. The temperature had been lowered to a ridiculous level and they would freeze if they went in.

Jess looked at the man who was genetically her father, not knowing how to feel, when Abby came up.

"Are you okay? Abby asked. Jess nodded not wanting to say anything. Abby and Becker looked at each other. It was very unusual for Jess not to be babbling on about something, and so the young woman must have been overwhelmed with what she was feeling.

"Caroline told us why you were so upset." Abby stated. "She wants you to know that she is really sorry and doesn't want things to change between you." Abby continued.

Jess continued to stare through the glass not wanting to look anywhere else. Not saying anything. 'How could things not change?' she thought.

"She would really like to talk more with you…." Abby didn't know what else to say. She looked further down the corridor where Caroline had been waiting and shrugged.

"I'm sure you will have many questions, when you are ready I'll be ready to answer them" Caroline spoke up as she walked closer. She knew that she had hurt Jess, but things needed to be resolved for her family's sake.

Caroline watched as Becker gently rubbed Jess's arm. She waited a moment before walking off to speak to an orderly.

Just then the Alarm to the ADD sounded. Becker, Jess and Abby ran towards the hub, where they found Emily. Jess quickly sat in her seat and swivelled round. Efficiently she tapped the buttons on the ADD.

"Oh God not again," she muttered. "The anomaly's in Connor's lab. I thought he was not going to make another opening device again?"

This time Abby spoke up. "Matt asked him to make one, he wants to go to the future on a fact finding mission."

"I'm not taking any chances," Becker grabbed his EMD for the second time today and ran off towards Connors lab. Abby followed him grabbing an EMD herself.

Becker rapped on the glass door of Connor's lab. Connor opened the door as Matt closed the Anomaly.

Matt closed the Anomaly with a strange looking device in his hands.

"Got to say thank you Abby, without that letter we would not have been able to get this up and running so quickly." Matt looked at Abby who was no longer pale.

"Thank yourself, you're the one who decided to come back and give me the letter!" Abby spoke plainly.

Matt grinned. After the mission he would have to go back in time and give Abby the letter.

Becker spoke up. "What's your plan of action? And how will that device help us?" Becker was intrigued by the device that Connor had made. Unsure how Matt was planning on using it.

"Simple I'm going to go to the future, find out what I can about these creatures first appearing and then come back. Once I have all the information we need we can go forward." Becker sighed, once Matt had made up his mind to do something he would go ahead and do it.

"If that's the case I'm going too!" Becker recalled the last time he had stepped into the future. Things had gone awry and he had lost Sarah. After coming back from there he had vowed never to let another team member through again, but Matt had changed all that. He was _always_ going through the anomalies. Becker was in charge of keeping the _Whole_ team safe and he couldn't do that if he did not go through it himself.

"I'm coming too!" Connor piped up. Matt and Abby stared at him and shouted back in unison. "NO!"

"Listen Connor, you're about to become a father, there's no way I'm letting you come with me!"

"Hear me out... I need to find out if anything has changed in the future. I'm the one who caused this mess; I'd like to be the one who tries to fix it. Not for me but the child that Abby's carrying. I want to make sure that the world this baby is coming into is going to be a safe one!" Connor turned to Abby now, speaking softly. "I want to make sure that our Baby has a _decent_ world to live in, not one that's dying."

"Then I want to come too." Abby insisted. Connor shook his head, mirroring the actions of the other men in the room. "No way," he said simply.

"But if anything happens to you..." Abby objected. Becker spoke up.

"Then you have my permission to shoot me with an EMD!" Becker put his hand on Abby's shoulder. "I'll be the one to make sure _everyone_ comes back, and if they don't then it's my head on the chopping block!" Becker smiled.

"Actually, you have my permission to shoot both of us if Connor doesn't come back, that's a promise!" Matt tried to console Abby.

She nodded.

"What year will that device take you to?"

"I've programmed it to take us to 2031, about twenty years into the future. Hopefully we can get all the information we need there." Connor explained. Matt nodded that way he could make sure that the information they needed would be accessible.

"But before we go I need to do something," Matt thought of Emily. He simply could not go anywhere without telling her first. "We'll meet up at the hub in ten minutes."

Matt and Becker left Connor's lab. Connor tapped Abby's shoulder before she could leave. As the door closed behind the two men he spoke up.

"You _DO_ understand why I have to go?" Connor put his hands on both shoulders, as Abby nodded. "I just want you to know that I love you more than life itself, and I _WILL_ be coming back!" He paused for a moment gathering his thoughts. "This morning when you collapsed in Manny's pen, my heart stopped. I would have died if anything had happened to you." Connor looked down at his feet for a moment and then back up at Abby. "I just want you to know that words alone cannot express how much I love you..." Abby put her finger to his lips. He took this as an indication that he should stop talking and took the opportunity to kiss her finger.

"I love you too. I will wait for you to come home and then..." Abby paused to think. "I'll just leave that to your imagination" Abby moved her finger away and leaned in to kiss him.

Just one thing Abby... If I don't make it back then..." Abby started to chastise him about not coming back. "No, let me finish... If I don't make it back would you name our child...? Luke if it's a boy and Leia if it's a girl?" Connor paused maybe she didn't like the names he had suggested.

"I'll think about it... and maybe we can talk when you get back." Abby didn't want to think about Connor not coming back at all.

Matt found Emily in a corner of the Hub. He explained that he would be going into the future on a mission. For some reason he didn't feel comfortable taking her with him this time and he instructed her to keep a lookout here. As reassurance he leaned in to kiss her.

Becker found Jess at the medical bay, outside Lester's room. He told her about the operation that Matt had planned and that he would be going too. He looked at Jess, was this the last time he would be seeing her? He couldn't be sure. He would try his hardest to come back, but _Nasty_ things had happened the last time he had ventured into the future. He looked through the glass once more at Lester's sleeping form, and was reminded that his daughter stood next to him. He closed his eyes as he felt a pang of hurt in his chest. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets and walked away.

Jess stood for a moment just watching Lester. Oblivious to fact that Becker had walked away without as much as a hug. She just wanted her father to get better.

Becker turned when he got halfway down the hall he turned to look at Jess.

"Are you coming to the hub?" Jess nodded and started to follow.

The three men stood in a line in the centre of the Hub. They all had EMD's and a small canister of breathing apparatus each. Matt remembered the air being quite toxic in the future he had come from and so had insisted upon taking it.

"Everybody ready?" the three men nodded. The four women stood to watch.

Connor took a deep breath and tried to stand tall. Out of the three men going on this mission, he was the one leaving a family behind. He looked at Abby and mouthed "Love You." Abby took a deep breath too and tried to be strong for Connor. She mouthed "Take Care" back to him. With that Connor pointed a device towards the steps and pressed a button.

The ADD alarms went off as an anomaly opened in front of them. The men quickly glanced around and stepped through the glittering shards of light. Caroline watched the phenomenon in awe. The glittering ball of light looking stunning before it pulsed and closed.

* * *

><p><strong>Will Matt, Becker and Connor make it back in one piece?<strong>

**Will they find a cure for Lester?**

**Will Jess be able to come to terms with how she is feeling?**


	11. Chapter 11

**The Changing Face of Lester.**

Here we meet Lester's wife. Continuation from 'Do you remember me?'

Lester has been bitten by a Future Predator.

Jess has just discovered that she is Lester's daughter.

**(This chapter is dedicated to Lovingthis because she's AWESOME, just just got her results and has got into the Uni of her choice. Well done!)**

**Chapter 11**

* * *

><p>"Was that ...?"<p>

"An anomaly? ... Yes" Abby answered.

"Wow!" was all that Caroline managed to say, totally in awe of the fact that three of the team had just walked through the magnificent orb of light and disappeared. She paused for a moment.

"Where have they gone?" Caroline wondered out loud. Half expecting them to still be in the building. People just didn't _disappear_ like that. She looked at Jess.

Caroline felt that she should have told Jess sooner. Why hadn't James said anything before? They even worked together. Caroline gulped maybe she should have stayed out of this and let her own parents tell her. But then James was irreversibly changing into a creature. She would have lost him without ever being told.

Jess's thoughts kept coming back to one in particular. 'Why wasn't I told? They've had years to tell me, why now?' Auntie Caroline could have told her years before this, Uncle James could have told her years ago. Even her own parents didn't tell her. _Why NOT?_ Jess started to feel angry and betrayed. Betrayed that no-one had told her the truth until now.

"To be exact... 2031" Abby could feel the tension in the air between Jess and Caroline. It was so thick you could have cut it with a knife. Maybe she should give them a bit of space she thought, the silence making her feel uncomfortable.

"I'm going to the rest room, my comms will be on if you need me." She stood up to leave, "Are you coming Emily?" Emily nodded. She had noticed the tension too and was grateful to be able to leave the two women to chat.

Jess and Caroline were lost in thought.

Jess opened her mouth to say something, when the Anomaly Detector sounded. She quickly swivelled round in her seat. As an anomaly opened up behind her.

Abby and Emily had not even reached the elevator when they turned around at the sound of the alarm.

They started to rush back.

Abby gasped as she saw Becker and Matt come through, they were supporting Connor between them. He was limping badly with a gash on his leg. Abby hoped it wasn't his bad leg. He had hurt his leg a few weeks ago when he had been dragged underground by some enormous bugs, and then had injured the same leg yesterday when he had been catapulted into the future. They looked dishevelled and looked as if they had spent a lot longer in the future than just a few minutes. Matt had a few gashes on his cheek and all of them looked grimy. The anomaly stayed open for a few minutes and then two more people came through.

One of them was a woman, in her mid-forties, she looked grimy as the rest of them and she was wearing a very dirty pair of jeans and a torn t-shirt. Her long blonde hair looked as if it hadn't seen shampoo in days and had been tied messily into a pony tail. She was aiming an EMD at the anomaly, a fearful look in her blue eyes.

The other was a young man who could be no more than twenty. His blonde hair was also dirty, long and messy. He could not have been to a hairdresser for well over a year, and could not have shaved for that time either. She noted that he was currently aiming an EMD at the Anomaly with one hand and had a device similar to Connor's in the other. He pressed a button on it and closed the anomaly.

Abby was about to rush over to Connor, who was being aided by Matt and Becker. They helped him into a chair. When the woman who followed them through the anomaly rushed over, she got there first and started babbling.

"Have you been bitten? Speak to me Connor, _HAVE YOU BEEN BITTEN?_" She shouted at Connor sounding frantic.

Abby leaned over to have a closer look at this strange woman. Her mouth fell open as she looked. Abby felt as if she were looking into a mirror. The older woman was a spitting image of Abby, and older version, but a spitting image nevertheless. Abby gaped she was the one whose turn it was to be rooted to the spot. She watched as Matt and Becker collapsed into chairs themselves. The young man, having sealed the anomaly turned around.

Abby couldn't believe what she was seeing. The man was a younger version of Connor with blonde hair and blue eyes! _What On Earth Was Going On!_

Both Abby's watched as Connor winced in pain.

"Will you stop panicking? … I haven't been bitten!" Connor took several deep breaths.

The older woman turned to look at Abby.

"Oh no, I know what you're thinking, it's not what this looks like." The older woman started to panic. "You see…" she paused to look at Connor.

Connor spoke up. "Abby…" He paused to look up at her. "This is…. Abby... It's you from the future." He winced again. The older Abby moved back.

Connor nodded to the young man. "Luke… Thank you. …. You saved me life!" He looked at Abby again. "This is Luke… our son!" Connor smiled in appreciation.

"Its okay dad, I'm just making sure that you're here for us this time." Luke grinned.

Luke turned to the older Abby.

"We ought to be going."

"Wait I've got to tell Dr Lester something first." She turned to Caroline. Caroline was bewildered by the whole scene and stood open mouthed.

"The answer is Jess's blood. You've got to give James a blood transfusion. It will stop him becoming a creature and reverse the process." The older Abby turned to Matt.

Here's that memory stick. It has all the answers you'll need. All that you need to know now is that you mustn't let James become that creature. We've stopped that creature from biting Connor so things should become better." She turned to Jess. She seemed to know what was going on in Jess's head, because the next thing she said was for Jess to put differences behind her and help Lester.

Older Abby put her arm around her son.

"Come on, let's go…" She smiled sweetly at Connor, fearing that she may never see him again.

Luke looked at Connor. "Been great finally meeting you Dad!" He grinned and saluted the men who had come back. "Hope to see you again... _SOON!"_ He pressed a button on the device in his hand. As the alarms sounded once more on the ADD, an anomaly opened and they disappeared through it Luke with one arm around his mum. Abby frowned. What had Luke meant when he said _'Finally been great meeting you!'_

The hub fell into an eerie silence, the women trying to comprehend what had just happened, and the men still struggling to come to terms with their ordeal, all of them wincing in pain.

Emily moved first. She rushed over to Matt's side. She looked over him.

"Caroline, I think all of them could do with medical attention." Caroline rushed to her side. Abby finally found her feet, and she ran over to Connor. She was relieved to see him. Although the sight of her older self, had made her feel uncomfortable, she had tried to recover as quickly as she could. She decided to put it away for the moment, and ask Connor what had happened later.

She looked at the gash on Connor's leg.

"That's the third time in the last two weeks that has split open. I don't think it's going to heal properly now." He winced and hissed again as Abby tried to take a quick look. _"OW!"_

"Sorry" Abby whispered.

Jess picked up the phone and started tapping buttons. She spoke to the medics to come with several wheelchairs so that they could transfer all three men easily. She then went to Becker's side to see to his injuries. He had a cut to his arm, he was filthy. But other than that he looked O.K.

* * *

><p><strong>Just what had Luke meant when he said <em>"Finally been great meeting you?"<em>**

**Why was the older Abby so worried about young Connor?**

**Why is the answer in Jess' blood?**

**Has Jess got special blood that could help Lester?**


	12. Chapter 12

**The Changing Face of Lester. **

**Here we meet Lester's wife. Continuation from 'Do you remember me?' **

**Lester has been bitten by a Future Predator. **

**Jess has discovered that she is Lester's daughter.**

* * *

><p>Once Matt and Connor had been sewed up and bandaged the team had a chance to talk about what had transpired. Becker was still waiting for his bandages to be applied.<p>

Caroline spoke first directing her questions to Matt.

"You had only been gone a few minutes, but your injuries imply that you spent longer out there?" Caroline tried to make sense of the men disappearing and then reappearing in a short space of time. Their injuries and clothes indicated otherwise.

"We were gone for about twelve hours." He looked at his watch. It was indeed twelve hours exactly faster than the ones around them.

"What did you find out?" Abby enquired. She was eager to find out how they had come across the future version of herself and her son, why the older Abby had been so frantic about Connor being bitten, why the younger man had been so enigmatic.

"We have to look on the memory stick for that. But first we need to sort out Lester."

Matt turned to Caroline and then Jess. "We found out that Lester's your father. Is that true?" Caroline looked at Jess who nodded. She turned back to Matt.

"What has my being Lester's flesh and blood got to do with anything?" She had cried for a very long time and now she just felt bitter, tired and empty.

"Turns out that these creature's bites can be lethal. Once they bite their victim, their victim slowly starts turning into a creature. The only way to stop this transformation is to take a relative's blood and inject it into the patient. Similar to that of curing leukaemia."

Caroline tried to digest the information that Matt had given to them and she spoke slowly.

"That's why... she said ... the answer... is Jess." Caroline turned to look at Jess. "Your blood would be genetically the same and a transfusion would actually help." Caroline hoped that Jess would understand her predicament. Jess continued to look at Matt and then Becker who was still waiting. Emotions playing havoc with what she knew she must do.

"Failing that we could ask Andrew to give a donation. He's not so far away and would be able to be here within an hour." Caroline suggested feeling that Jess would not want to participate.

Jess finally spoke. "No need to call him, I'll do it, I'll donate blood. How much will you need?" Jess looked at her Aunt.

"Four pints be enough?" She tried to be sarcastic towards Caroline. At the moment all she felt was hatred towards her Aunt. Hatred and anger. She felt as if her so called Aunt had taken away the right to call James Lester her 'Dad'.

Caroline shook her head. To take that much blood from Jess would endanger her life.

"Two pints for the moment, and then when you've got more strength we take a pint a day until Lester is better. This way we can ensure that neither of you are in any danger."

Jess looked away and harrumphed. "When do you want to start?" she asked to no-one in particular.

Caroline noted Jess' behaviour towards her. When had Jess become so bitter?

"First we have to test your blood. Make sure you're not anaemic and that it's compatible. Then we can start."

Caroline stated as calmly as she could.

"Fine, I'll be outside... Lester's room" Jess struggled. She didn't feel right saying or calling Lester anything else. She crossed her arms and left the room wanting to be as far away from Caroline as was possible.

Matt's mouth dropped open. Since when had Jess developed an attitude? Even he had felt the tension between the two women since getting back and it was getting worse. Becker wished that he could have gone to be with her but he was being bandaged up and couldn't move for a few minutes. Once he was bandaged he went to look for Jess.

Caroline asked one of the orderly's for his help with Jess. It would be better if he took her blood and brought it to her for testing.

Matt was given permission to leave the medical bay and went with Emily to find Caroline.

Connor was not fit enough to leave as yet, and he sat there with Abby. Abby had brought him a change of clothes and he had changed quickly they now sat on the bed together. His arm around her shoulder, her head resting gently on his chest. Here she could smell his sweat and she found it appealing.

"Connor..."

"Hmmm..." Connor felt as if he'd been awake for the last 36 hours and had been drifting off to sleep. He was shaken out of his dream state by Abby.

"When you were in the future... What happened? How did you meet... you know..."

Connor didn't have to hear the rest of the question to know who she was talking about.

"Well when we got there, things haven't changed from the last time we were there. We managed to get into the future ARC. That's when we came across... the future you and Luke..." Connor stopped he didn't want to tell her what really happened. He didn't want to tell her that something was going to happen to him and that he wouldn't be there to see his son being born. When the future Abby had flung herself into his arms she had sobbed for ages. After all she had not seen him for Twenty years! The older version of Abby had told him that the first time he went through on this mission, he had ended up being bitten, unlike Lester who had Jess, Connor had no-one and trying to take an unborn baby's blood had been out of the question. She had relived that moment alongside Connor and had vowed that this time things were going to change.

Connor hoped that things had changed enough for him to see his son and hold him.

"Abby from the future told us that Lester becomes the first creature." Connor snorted.

"Did you know that Lester had said to Matt, if things go pear shaped, he's got to kill him?"

"NO!" Abby gaped shock gripped her.

"Yeah, apparently ... This morning... when we'd left the medical bay... Lester stopped him and that's what he'd said." Connor said casually trying to change the subject.

"My god, I hope that this treatment will work. It'd be a great shame to lose Lester. He's been good to us."

"I hope so too."

Jess was given a room of her own opposite Lester's that she was to be kept in. Jess sat on the gurney feeling extremely bitter. After being bandaged up Becker went to join her.

He took in her forlorn expression, wishing he could hold her, brush her tears away and kiss her softly. He turned around to shut the door and his gaze fell on Lester in the bay opposite, and he was reminded of Jess' relationship with his boss. He felt as if there was an elephant sat on his chest, squashing his poor little heart. He closed his eyes and turned to face her.

Jess heard the door close gently. She looked up to see Becker looking just as lost as she was. Would her relationship with him change because of what she'd said? She hoped that he wouldn't and their relationship would get stronger instead. She really was pleased to see him come back. Since this morning she had concentrated on Caroline and her relationship with Lester.

"How are you?" Becker asked forcing what he hoped was a proper smile on his face.

"I'm O.K. ... Better for seeing you." For the first time in hours she smiled.

Becker walked slowly towards her.

"Have they told you what's going to happen?" asked Becker unsure of what to do with his hands. He decided a more casual stance than this morning and he stuck his thumbs in the corner of his pockets leaving his fingers resting on his thighs.

"They've taken a blood sample, they're going to test it and then they can start taking blood." Jess looked up at Becker hoping that he would hold her. She shifted in the gurney, making space for him to sit down, patting it gently indicating that he should sit.

Becker watched as she moved on the makeshift bed, he fought a mental battle with himself not to sit next to her and lost. He sat down alongside her and put an arm around her shoulders. Jess cuddled up to him.

"Let me get this right. Caroline told you that Lester's your father. So why the attitude with her?"

Jess sat for a moment just taking the time to snuggle up and relish in Becker's warm body.

"It's just that... No-one has ever told me... until now. For goodness sake I'll be _TWENTY _next month. Why didn't anyone ever tell me for _SO_ many years?" Jess let her thoughts be known. "_NO-ONE_ in my so called family told me, not Jonathan, not Karen, Not even Lester told me. _"WHY?"_ Jess let out her pent-up anger and tears began to fall soaking Becker's Black t-shirt. Becker rubbed her shoulder gently.

"You know it's not her fault... She's making the most of a bad situation." Becker moved away slightly. And tipped her head so that it rested on the bottom half of his arm.

"You see she told you because she thinks that that Lester's dying. She didn't want you to find out after his death. If he dies, I sincerely hope that he makes it, but you've got to look at the other way. She's the only person who could have told you. Lester's been sedated and unconscious for the last few hours. And your own parents aren't here. She's only looking out for you." Becker hoped that he'd said the right words and that it would be the end of the animosity between the two women.

Jess blinked as she took in what Becker had just said. He seemed to make sense. She looked at his face. The close proximity meant that they were very close to each other. She licked her top lip and wished that he would close the distance between them and kiss her.

Suddenly Becker moved away. He stood up and stuck his hands in his pockets. Becker tried to think of an excuse quickly.

"I really ought to get going, I've got... Security Stuff to do... and I need a shower." He inwardly cringed, that sounded so ... _LAME. _He walked backwards to the door.

"I'll come and check on you later." Becker forgot that he'd closed the door and he bumped into it as he tried to leave.

He gently closed the door behind him.

'You Idiot, you are a totally and completely an UTTER IDIOT!' Becker berated himself. He closed the door to Jess' room and bumped straight into Matt. He had been talking to Caroline.

"We can start now, there's no time to waste." Matt stated. Becker looked at him questioningly. "We've done some tests; Jess's blood reacts very quickly with the bacteria in Lester's blood killing it in a matter of minutes. We might not even need so much blood!" Matt sounded very optimistic.

* * *

><p><strong>Will Becker ever be able to admit his feelings for Jess?<strong>

**Will Lester survive?**


	13. Chapter 13

**This chapter is being Dedicated to messermontana. (She knows why!)**

**The rating of this story will be going up to T for future chapters to be on the safe side.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 13<p>

The journey into the future had left Becker feeling very grimy and he had a layer of dirt on his skin and clothes. The temperature had been very high out there and he had been sweating excessively. He was going to have a wash and a quick change of clothes. He wished he could have a shower, but the bandages on his arm prevented him from doing so. As he was washing an image of Lester with General Miller standing behind him appeared in his mind. He recalled the last time he had seen the General. The General had been extremely shaken by the death of his daughter and he had blamed Becker for it.

Hell, Becker even blamed himself for it!

Becker started to remember Lisa; she had been the General's daughter. Becker had liked her and after weeks of tip-toeing around her, and her father, the General had conceded to let her go with Becker on a date.  
>Becker recalled the incident with a lump in his throat. He could not call it a date, even though it had started off as one. He had taken Lisa to one of the upmarket restaurants near Sand Hurst. He had then received a cryptic message via text to return to his car. He had left Lisa briefly to return to his car but found no-one there. Shaking his head he had returned to the girl he had wished to woo. Upon his arrival to the restaurant he had discovered Lisa had disappeared. He had asked various people where his 'date' had gone, only to be told that she had left with two men.<p>

For the next hour Becker had searched frantically for her, someone else thought that he had seen he getting into a car heading away from the city, this had been nothing but a wild goose chase.  
>He had then been stopped by the police and arrested, then taken to a local police station where he had been told that a girl had been found matching Lisa's description. She had been found in an alley not far from the restaurant where he had taken her, bound, beaten and raped.<p>

Her father had been informed and he had implicated Becker. Becker had never been formally charged with her rape. She had always maintained that it was not Becker who had raped her, but the forensics had found traces of Becker's DNA on Lisa's lips. Becker had insisted that the DNA had been found because he had kissed her, but nothing more had happened. Forensics had found traces of semen in her system but this had not matched Becker's genetic make-up. He thought now of the disgrace that it had brought upon him, a stain on his impeccable record. Lisa had then died as a result of her internal injuries, and her father General Miller had been the reason why he had left. After being implicated in that particular manner Becker felt that he had no choice.  
>Becker sighed, there was no point crying over spilt milk. It was too late to do anything now. All he could do was to ensure that it never happened again, he would not allow himself to make the same mistakes.<p>

Becker returned to the outside of Jess' room. He knew just how Jess had been feeling and part of him wanted to be there for her. The other part kept telling him that he was not 'Suitable' for any girl, let alone Jess, and the fact that she was Lester's daughter only made matters worse and he could not ignore it.  
>He turned for a moment to look at Lester. It was unbelievable how mutated Lester's body had become. You could not even make out the features of Lester's face, and the rest of his body had changed dramatically. He wondered if Lester would ever become normal. The Abby from the future had insisted it would not take very long once the blood transfusion had been started. How long it would be until Lester was back to normal. He noticed that Caroline had come to stand beside him.<br>"Will it work?"  
>Caroline nodded. "I don't know how long it will take, but I'm pretty sure it'll work."<br>Caroline stood outside the room, watching. Feeling totally empty, in the last twenty-four hours her life had been turned upside down. In a matter of hours she had seen her husband's complete transformation into this creature. She stood with baited breath and the last twenty-five years flashed through her mind. Her thoughts went back to the first time they had met.

Caroline had been working as a trainee doctor in the emergency department of a London Hospital. Lester had been involved in a RTA. He had come into hospital suffering with whiplash. Lester had not wasted any time asking her out on a date, his persistence, charm and his calm demeanour had been what she had fallen in love with and two years later they were married.

Becker turned to look at Jess.

His heart stopped for a moment, as he looked at Jess. She was slumped over her pillow at a strange angle. For a moment she looked like one of the lifeless bodies he had come across in Afghanistan.  
>"Jess" he muttered and rushed into her room, followed quickly by Caroline.<br>Becker rushed to her bedside to hold her hand. She had a tube coming attached to her arm and blood slowly leaked out and into a sterile bag.

Caroline checked her pulse. "She's still alive." She stated noticing Becker's panic. The rest of the team filed into the room as Caroline checked her over.

* * *

><p>Caroline reached across to a trolley, and grabbing an empty bag for the blood, she changed the bags. Becker felt a twinge in his chest. Was it really necessary to extract so much blood from Jess? He wished he could say something, but he kept his thoughts to himself and let it go.<p>

"Jess…. Jess…. wake up Jess." Caroline cooed over Jess like a mother hen.  
>Becker drew back and let go of Jess's hand as he watched her eyes flutter open. He melted into the background as Caroline, Abby, Emily and Matt began to fuss over her. Caroline took the full bag of blood over to Lester's room and under Matt's watchful eye, prepared to give her husband the much needed transfusion.<p>

Becker stood watching hands planted deeply into his pockets again. He wished there was something else he could do, somewhere he had to be.

* * *

><p><strong>I would like to Thank Lovingthis for all her help this morning. I had a major set-back this morning, and i would not have been able to post this chapter without her help. Thank you.<strong>


	14. Chapter 14

**The Changing Face of Lester. **

This chapter is dedicated to Lovingthis. She knows why.

**Matt, Becker and Connor have come back form the future.**

**Jess is donating blood, Lester looking very deformed. Connor unsure about his future.**

* * *

><p>Becker stood watching hands planted deeply into his pockets again. He wished there was something else he could do, somewhere he had to be.<p>

He looked over to Matt.

Becker watched as Caroline took the full bag of blood over to Lester's room. He and Matt entered the room carefully, and after ensuring that Caroline was in no danger let her start the first blood transfusion. Lester looked horribly deformed. It didn't even look like him anymore.

After Caroline had finished Matt beckoned Becker to join him. Both men exited the room.  
>"What can I do for you?" Becker asked.<br>"Get someone to keep an eye on Lester," Matt said dryly.  
>"Mr or Mrs?" asked Becker before Matt could finish.<br>"James, if he comes round, I want to know, and then if you could join me in my office!" Matt turned to search for Connor.

Becker called for Lt Evans to keep an eye on Lester and to inform himself and Matt of any changes.

Connor had fallen asleep in one of the other medical bays.  
>Matt nudged him awake.<br>"Huh…. What… Huh?" Connor rubbed sleep out of his eyes.  
>"Sorry Mate, fell asleep, been a very long 48 hours," Connor took in his surroundings, quickly remembering what he was doing in the medical bay and why.<br>"Have the Doctors said you can go?"  
>Connor nodded. "Good… I need to go over the memory stick that Abby gave us."<br>He pulled it out from his back pocket. The silver stick glinted in the artificial light. "Join me in my office?"  
>"Yeah, sure" Connor shook his head trying to clear his sleep addled brain. He followed Matt to his office limping slowly behind.<p>

Matt opened the door to his office and turned on the light. Connor followed him in and closed the door gently. They were joined shortly by Becker. Grim faced, Matt turned on his computer and waited.

Becker, Connor and Matt stood together as the computer booted up.  
>"Here goes nothing…" Matt looked at the list of files that came up.<br>Some were news reports others were reports on what had happened to whom, but the last one looked like a letter addressed to Connor. Matt looked at Connor before opening the first file.  
>It was a news report on the first predator. The report went into details about what the creature was doing but did not say where the first predator appeared.<br>The second file was more promising; it was a file from the ARC's own archives.  
>Matt scanned it quickly. His eyes widened as he took in the horror of the report. It had been written by Jess, two days from now.<br>Jess, efficient as always, had obviously gone into detail writing the report and the first person to change into a creature had been Lester. They had not had an anomaly opening device and had not been able to travel in time to give themselves time to change things.

The third report on the memory stick had Connor reaching for a chair. He went deathly pale as he read the report. It had gone into detail about how Lester had broken out of his locked room, attacking people; Connor had been the second person to have bitten.

Connor held his head in his hands. If things did not change, he was going to be the next person to die. His immediate thoughts were of Abby. He should send her home, as far away as possible. Away from a place where she could potentially be bitten and change into a creature herself.  
>Matt and Becker took in Connor's broken pose. They realised how hard this must be for him.<br>Matt opened each file in turn, noting the sequence of events. His determination in trying to save as many people as he could, breaking each time he noted a member of the team being lost. He made a mental list.

Lester was first.

Connor was the second to be bitten.

Lt Evans, one of Becker's men had also been bitten.

Emily was the next to be bitten.

Sergeant Murray, killed in action

Matt was next to be bitten.

Then Caroline died after one of the creatures killed her.

Becker was next; he died trying to save Jess.

There was no mention of Jess. Was she the last to die?

Lastly he turned to Connor and asked if he wanted to read the last file, which looked like a letter containing several attachments. Connor braced himself and nodded.

_Dear Connor,_

_After reading the all the files, news reports and messages from various people you will have figured out one thing. You get bitten by a predator. You don't die straight away, but you change into one of them._  
><em>My heart broke the day you died. How I managed to carry on I shall never know. I'm grateful now that you saw sense in sending me away. It was probably one of the main reasons I survived. There's an emptiness in my life that no-one could ever change. After you, with the exception of Luke, no man has been able to create a place in my heart"<em>

_You don't ever get a chance to see Luke our son. I am sending pictures of Luke as he grew up. We always remembered you at these occasions and hopefully you will see what you missed._

_Whatever happens, I want you to know that I have always loved you, and I always will._  
><em>I hope you get a chance to change what happens.<em>  
><em>I hope to see you again, but if I don't – I love you.<em>  
><em>Miss you lots<em>

_Forever yours_

_Abby_

Connor struggled with opening the attachments.

**Did he really want to see them?**

**Did he really want to know what he would miss?**

* * *

><p><strong>Will Connor be able to change the future?<strong>

**What will Matt, Connor and Becker decide to do?**

**Will the blood transfusion work?**

* * *

><p>I sobbed my Heart out writing this chapter.<p>

Please don't scream at me for writing this.

Thank you Heyarandomgal, Lovingthis, YouHaveLovelyHair, Messersmontana, and ArodLoverUs2001 for your wonderful reviews.

Are you the only ones reading this?

If that's the case I may just refuse to update.


	15. Chapter 15

**The Changing Face of Lester. **

* * *

><p><strong>This is dedicated to all those who have reviewed! A very big mention to Messersmontana, I hope things work out!<strong>

**And Thank you to Lovingthis for keeping me going.**

* * *

><p><strong><em>Connor knows that unless events in this timeline change, he could die!<em>**

**_Connor, Matt and Becker have knowledge of the future._**

**_After the heart-breaking letter from Abby, Connor opens the rest of the file..._**

* * *

><p><strong>Did he really want to see them?<strong>

**Did he really want to know what he would miss?**

Connor wiped a tear from his eye and looked at the photos that were enclosed. A little piece of Connor's heart broke with every picture.  
>There was one of Luke being born, one of his first birthday, one photograph for every birthday he'd ever had and there was even one of him going to school for the first time. He screwed up his eyes and let tears flow freely down his face. Becker put a hand on Connor's shoulder, he really felt for Connor, knowing that he was possibly the next victim.<br>Matt couldn't help but look at the photographs that Abby had sent. In each one there was an absence of Connor.

_Had_ _Abby been the only member of the team to survive?_

Matt gritted his teeth; turned and leaned back against the work surface they had been using, facing Becker, not saying anything. Connor leaned back in his chair and scrubbed his face.  
>He hated knowing what was going to happen. He hated that once again he could not tell Abby. He looked over at Matt, who stood with his back to the screen. The seriousness of the situation, weighed heavily on their minds, needing no words to be exchanged between the three men. Matt sighed heavily. He pulled up a chair. He gestured for Becker to do the same. Becker shook his head, preferring to stand.<p>

"Matt... Becker..." Connor turned and looked at both of them before he spoke with tears in his eyes. "If... if" Connor took a deep breath if he didn't say this now he never would.

"If this really does happen ... I want one of you to shoot me. Before I get to the stage that Lester's at. Before I change and kill anyone else." Somehow Connor knew that things could still change, he could still get bitten. After all Lester had not fully recovered yet. He forced himself to look at the pictures that began to scroll through automatically, tears rolling uncontrollably down his face.

"Same goes for me too mate," Matt looked at Connor and Becker, an untold agreement forged between each of them. All of them, trying to come to terms with what they had discovered.

* * *

><p>Matt, Becker and Connor sat and made a plan. They decided, between them that the best course of action was to rig the building with explosives. These were to be set off by a remote device. One that they would give to Abby. Abby and Emily were to be sent as far away from the building to guarantee their safety. Unfortunately Jess and Caroline would have to stay, their presence necessary for Lester's recovery. Becker had felt really uncomfortable with Jess and Caroline having to stay, but when Matt had explained why; he had backed down, a feeling of deep regret lodging within his heart. They would ask all other personnel to leave, leaving just six people in the building.<p>

Becker, Matt and Connor sat for a moment digesting what just _had_ to be done. They sat in silence, anguish clear on each of their faces. None of them were happy at their decision, but they had come to an understanding that if they wanted to _REALLY_ change the future, this would have to be the way to do it.

Emily knocked on the door, jolting them out of their misery. She and Abby had started to wonder where they had got to and what they were doing. Emily gazed at each of them in turn, Connor's eyes were glistening, and Matt looked distraught, and even the unbreakable Becker, looked a little rough around the edges.

The men looked at each other, the plan having been made needed to be put into action.

* * *

><p>It had taken Connor and Becker just under an hour to finish putting parts of Plan A into action and now they went in search of their respected loved ones.<br>They found Abby, Emily and Matt alongside Jess in the medical bay.

Connor and Matt exchanged glances.

"Is everything ready?" Connor gulped this was most probably one of the hardest things he was about to do. He'd rather face a T-Rex than have to send his beloved Abby away. Slowly he nodded.

Matt spoke to the women.

"Abby, Emily can we have a word outside?" Matt led them into the corridor and away from the now bustling Medical bays before saying anything else.

"We've made a decision to cut the number of people left in the building until further notice. You're to go home and wait for further instructions."

"And what sort of instructions will be sent out? And by whom?" Emily asked. Connor piped up.

"Well that's all in this letter, I've left explicit instructions as to what to do. It all starts in twelve hours. Abby take this laptop. It has the instructions on it to destroy everything within this building. All you have to do is load up the disc and start the destruction sequence. Remember it starts in twelve hours. So at…" Connor looked at his watch and tried to stay calm as he was saying this, thinking only of the life growing inside Abby. "6.00 am you're to start the destruction sequence." Abby nodded and took the laptop.

Before Abby could speak Matt spoke to Emily. "You're to stay with Abby, stay together, for as long as you can." Matt looked into Emily's eyes for what could be the final time. As Emily gazed back there was an understanding as to what Matt was doing. She hated following orders, maybe she would find somewhere in the building to hide.

Abby turned to go and then stopped.

"And where will you be in twelve hours' time?" She turned to look at Connor. Connor's lips pursed into a thin line, and Abby understood what he was trying to say.

He was going to be inside the building when it blew.

"Will there be anywhere in the building where you'll be safe?" Connor shook his head. Even in the Panic Room they could not be protected.

"So all of you…. die?" Tears sprang into Abby's eyes, and her gut twisted as she looked across to Matt and then to Becker who stood at the end of the Hall. Connor nodded.

"No, I can't do this! ... I won't do it! ..." Abby tried to push the laptop back into Connor's hands. She didn't want to be the person to push the button to end _SO_ many lives.

"You have to. It's the only way..." Connor insisted, pushing the laptop back. Tears prickling his eyes.

Abby looked back at the laptop. And shook her head. "I can't do it"

"Listen Abby, there's a chance that I may not even be me when the building explodes, I may have already changed ..." He stopped clamping a hand around his mouth, but it was too late, he had said too much already.

Abby gasped, and her stomach turned and twisted painfully, as she understood what Connor was trying to say. He may not have been bitten in the future, but there was still nothing stopping him from being bitten now.

"Come with me, you don't have to do this! ..." Abby almost screamed out the words.

"I can't, I can't just leave…. I have to make sure our son comes into a better world!" Connor almost begged her to go.  
>"I'll call you….. If everything is O.K. then I'll call you, so that you don't have to push that button. But if you don't hear from me, then things are not going well." He looked at her beautiful blue eyes. He could see that she was trying hard not to cry.<p>

"Come 'ere" He pulled her into his arms for one last hug. He whispered into her ear.

"I will _always_ love you!" Softly he kissed the top of her head.

Abby tried to gather herself together. "Rex, I need to take Rex." Both Matt and Connor nodded.

* * *

><p>In the menagerie Rex had flown around and landed on Connor's shoulder. It seemed that the Little Dinosaur knew exactly what was going to happen and he had chirped away as he sat. Rex cocked his head and looked at Connor. Suddenly, Connor felt the creatures' scaly skin on his cheek, had Rex had just kissed him "Goodbye"?<p>

Rex flew away and landed on the desk where Abby had a cage ready for him. He looked around him, chirped again and then climbed in. Before leaving Abby took one last look inside at the animals that they had saved. She felt awful at leaving them to die, but knew that she had very little time.

Matt and Connor escorted the girls to the car park.

"Will this be the last time we meet?" Emily looked into Matt's eyes, they were clear and cool, and did not betray his emotions.

"Don't know." He answered simply, his gut twisting and turning. He looked at her; this woman had left her own time to be with him, should he tell her something? He decided against it.

"I'll miss you." Emily tried to smile. He watched as Emily slipped into the passenger seat of Abby's car. "I'll miss you too" he whispered, but Emily did not hear him.

"I'm going to _REALLY_ miss you!" Abby looked at Connor, and she leaned in for a final kiss. After a while she broke off and snuggled into the side of his neck. She breathed in deeply, trying to savour and commit to memory the way she felt when she was being held, the contours of his body, his strong arms around her and his unique aroma.

"I'll miss you too, Hon." Connor walked with her to the door of her car, placed Rex's cage and the laptop on the back seat for her, before giving her a final earth shattering kiss.

Abby got into her car, wiped her eyes and drove off, glancing at Connor in her rear view mirror as she did so. She drove for half a mile before pulling over and bursting into tears. She had become very hormonal since falling pregnant and it didn't take much for her to cry. The fact that she had been trying so very hard not to cry had not helped and now the tears came flooding out. Emily reached over and hugged her friend and had tried to console her, but it was not long before Emily herself was in tears.

* * *

><p>The men walked back to the entrance in silence. Once inside Connor disappeared to his lab and Matt to the gym. Matt clenched his fist, 'God, he wanted to punch something!' They were running out of time. He spent a good hour, pounding, at the punch bag.<p>

* * *

><p>Upon reaching his lab Connor pulled out a pen and a pad of paper. He scribbled something down, shook his head, and tore off the paper. He scrunched the paper into a ball before throwing it in the bin. He tried again… Dearest Abby… he wrote. No, he tore off the paper again and threw it in the bin.<p>

Fifteen minutes later, Connor rubbed his hands over his face. He was not getting anywhere. Letter writing had never been his strong point and several balls of screwed up paper littered his desk. He had much preferred sitting in front of a camera voicing his thoughts, rather than writing. A slight smile appeared on his face. He would make a video blog and send it to Abby.

He booted up his laptop, and set up the webcam.

"_Hey Abby, It's me, Connor, just wanted to say that I love you. I miss you. I know you'll take care of yourself. Remember even if you don't have me, you'll have Luke by your side. I hope that you do still call him Luke, and after having met him, I know he'll grow into a fine young man, and I know that together, you'll make a fantastic team." _Connor took a deep breath and continued.

"_I hope that one day you'll get over me, meet a good bloke, settle down and have more kids." _Connor blinked away the tears that were starting to sting his eyes.

"_The Abby I met in the future, well, she was kinda sad… if you know what I mean. She'd been alone for too many years. She'd told me that I was going to die. All of us, one by one. I hope you realise that's why I sent you away. I just want you to be safe, while we deal with things here. One day, you'll thank me. Look after Luke for me, give him all my love. Maybe one day you'll tell him about the ARC, of the anomalies, of Cutter, Stephen and of how we met."_

"_Don't forget the instructions that I gave you. You must follow them to the letter. You might want to save this video blog to show Luke. Actually now that I think about it I'll do a separate one for him too._

_I love you Abby._

_Goodbye."_

Connor smiled into the camera before turning it off.

He prepared to make a second one for the son he would never see again.

"_Hey Luke, Daddy here. I hope you're being a good boy for your mum. Don't give her too much trouble. _

_I really wish I could be with you, but unfortunately I can't."_

"_As you grow older you'll understand why I did what I did, and I know you'll be there for your mum when she needs a hand_." Connor took another deep breath before continuing.

"_I'm going to miss a lot of your firsts, your first bath, first time you roll over, first time you stand, first step, first tooth, Losing your first tooth, going to school for the first time, going to high school and your first girlfriend. "_

"_Just want you to know I'm here for you. I'll be watching out for you. I love you son, I will always love you!_

_Goodbye_

_Dad"_

Connor saved the files onto his computer and made several copies. One he sent to his own computer at Jess' flat, the other to Abby's e-mail. He hoped that the messages would bring her comfort over the years that she would be without him.

Once he had done this he sat back, and sobbed, long and loud, grateful that his lab was soundproofed.

* * *

><p><strong>This Chapter was another hard one for me to write, I found writing it was heartbreaking, and I hope it comes across as such.<strong>

**Not sure how many of you are enjoying this story... (Or not)**

**Please, please, please review.**


	16. Chapter 16

**The Changing Face of Lester. **

**Abby and Emily have been sent away from the ARC.**

**Only six people remain inside the building, which has been rigged with explosives.**

Sorry about the small chapter...

More to follow soon...

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 16<strong>

Rex had flown around Jess' flat exploring; he had then seen Abby's still form sitting on the sofa, arms around her knees. He saw the rivulets of liquid streaming from her eyes and he knew she was upset. He knew Connor was not around to cheer her up, and so it was up to him. He flew down and landed on the sofa next to her. He chattered away, trying cheer Abby up. But to no avail. She was miserable, and nothing the little guy did, could bring her out from the deep, dark depths of her mind.

Abby sat on the sofa, feet up and arms around her knees. She sat, silent tears coursing down her face. She felt empty, sad and distraught; she worried her lip as she sat her thoughts only of Connor. At this moment in time she didn't know if she loved him or hated him. She loved him for who he was, always thinking of others, kind, generous and caring. She hated him for making her go away from him. All she wanted was to be with him. She hated him for making her start the destruction sequence to blow up the building. She wished with all of her heart that it would not end this way. Tears streamed down her face as she thought of the man she knew as Connor Temple.

She remembered the first time they had met, the way he had blackmailed his way into staying at her flat. The way she had tried to teach him to flirt. Then she remembered the time when he had come home with Caroline. She had immediately thought of her as a 'Tart', and had not been surprised when Oliver Leek had told everyone that he had paid her to become Connor's girlfriend. She had seen the brief moment of hurt when Connor had discovered this. So brief, that anyone else would have missed it, but not her. She had known when he had rescued her from the 'Mer' creatures that he loved her, he had plainly said so, only to come back and deny everything. Oh how she had longed for his company that night. But 'Caroline the Tart' had come in and spoilt everything. She thought of Stephen and how he had died trying to save everyone.

_Wasn't Connor doing the same sort of thing?_

Abby's thoughts continued and now she remembered when they had first met Danny. He had locked Connor in a Police Cell, and Jenny had gone to rescue him. She remembered when Jack had come to stay she had asked him to stay elsewhere for a few days. Oh how she kicked herself now, Jack had been so self-centred and selfish; he had even used Rex to pay off his Gambling debts. She smiled as she recalled Jack telling her how Connor had got him back, and yet, he had not said anything bad about Jack. With fresh tears streaming down her face, her thoughts had turned to the year they had spent in the Cretaceous.

Abby pulled a fresh tissue from the box in front of her.

The Cretaceous...

A year spent in the wilderness, constantly running from various prehistoric carnivorous creatures.

A year spent watching each other's back.

A year of getting to know each other inside out.

Abby recalled one incident when Connor had risked his own life to save hers. She had been cornered by a vicious raptor, one who wanted Raw Human for lunch. Connor had thrown a large rock at it to thwart its attention from her. The raptor had then turned and lunged for him. The vicious predator had tried to grab him, and it had given Connor a very deep cut just above his eye, before Connor had grabbed a large branch and whacked it across the head. Abby had thought that the raptor had gouged out Connor's eye and that he would be blind forever, but after cleaning him up, Abby realised that it was not the case. The wound had taken weeks to heal and had now left Connor with a scar, just above his right eyebrow.

Abby recollected how both of them had felt after an anomaly had opened, bringing them home. The sight of all the security men had been unnerving and they had been forced to the ground at gunpoint by the ARC's newest recruits. She snorted as she remembered the clumpy army boots that walked up to them. She had been _SO_ pleased to see Becker that she had hugged him immediately.

Abby recalled meeting Matt for the first time with some trepidation, Matt knew about her and Connor, but they knew nothing about the new Team Leader.

Abby's stomach turned as she thought of her friends still at the ARC. Connor, Lester, Becker, Jess and Matt, The thought of killing them with one push of a button eating away at her, gnawing away at her insides. Her pregnancy and impending birth pushed to a quiet corner of her mind.

Emily tried to keep herself busy. She started by trying to clean Jess' kitchen, but Jess' had cleaned it all that morning and so there was nothing to do. So she turned her attention to the bathroom and started to scrub. She had spent a full hour scrubbing until the whole bathroom gleamed. Jess would be pleased... _If she ever came back!_

When Emily had finished she came out and sat next to Abby. Abby still sat in the same position as she had an hour ago. Emily looked at her watch. 7.00 pm.

She tried to coax Abby to eat something. Abby just sat devoid of any emotion, tears still streaming down her face.

It was then that Emily noticed the computer lights flashing.

"What does that flashing mean?" she pointed to the computer.

"There must be an e-mail". Slowly Abby trudged over to the computer and sat down. With a heavy heart she opened her inbox.

Immediately her spirits soared like a bird flying high into the sky.

"It's Connor! ..." She screamed for joy. As she quickly opened it up. Emily came to stand behind her, to revel in her friend's happiness.

Abby quickly opened up the e-mail and then the attached Video blog. Her tears started again as she watched his last message. When both messages had stopped, she played them again, and again, and again.

When Abby had pressed the button to play the message for the sixth time Emily had begged her to stop. Surely there were other ways in which she could treasure Connor's memory?

Abby sat and thought for a moment. Then she got up and wandered into their bedroom. She scrambled around on the floor and then picked up a shirt the one that Connor had worn the night before. She picked it up and pressed it to her nose. It gave her a strange kind of solace, and she felt comforted by it. She pulled off her own t-shirt, and put on his. She hugged herself and imagined that Connor was standing there with his arms around her. Emily stood at a distance, watching. How could putting on Connor's shirt have made her so happy? She put her hand on Abby's shoulder and voiced her thoughts.

"You've never tried it?" Abby asked. Emily shook her head.

"Missing Matt?" Emily nodded. Abby hugged Emily, "Come on let's try it, I'll take you to Matt's and you can pick out something of his."

Drying her eyes, Abby drove across town to Matt's flat and they let themselves in. Emily went straight to Matt's laundry basket and pulled out a shirt. She tossed her own back into the hamper, and donned Matt's. She sighed deeply as Matt's familiar heavenly scent enveloped her. Abby was right, it was strangely comforting.

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you to all of those who review, it means a lot to me, I am very grateful.<strong>

**It really doesn't matter how short your reply is.**


	17. Chapter 17

**The Changing Face of Lester. **

* * *

><p>8.00 pm…..<p>

Caroline sat in Jess's room. She had done all that she could do and all they could do now was wait. The first bag of blood had already been given to Lester, although she could not see much of a change, she was prepared to wait for the second one to be ready, she had been told about the rest of the staff being sent home, but not about what could happen if they stayed in the building. Matt had given her the option to drive herself home, but she had declined. She had wanted to see James' condition improve and there was still Jess to consider. James would never forgive her if anything happened to Jess.

Caroline looked at Jess now. She did not feel bitter, angry or upset as she had done when she had first learned of her existence. Over the years she had thought of Jess as her niece and nothing more, until now. Could she accept her as a daughter? Maybe.

It wasn't Jess's fault she had been born in that manner. She had even overlooked James' infidelity and now she just wanted her family to get back together.

* * *

><p>Matt sat alone in the break room. He had made himself a coffee twenty minutes ago but had now lost interest in it. His thoughts went back to his training as he grew up. How they had been warned not to get emotionally attached. From his recent venture into the future Matt knew that not enough had changed, for his mission to be called a success. More had to be done.<p>

Matt thought of Emily, how would she cope? Secretly he hoped that she would stay with Abby and give her some sort of company. That way they would not be entirely alone. He thought about the first time they had met. She had disappeared through an Anomaly and he had gone after her. Matt recalled with a smirk on his face, she had even refused his help, and he had brought her back, kicking and screaming.

* * *

><p>Becker was sat in front of the ADD. Everyone else had been sent home and now there were only six people in the whole building. He had the screens trained to each part of the structure and was watching everything going on. One of the screens was trained on the security camera in Jess' room and another kept flitting between the car park and Lester's room. He watched as Caroline sat waiting for Jess to come round. He had seen Connor walking through the corridors and was not surprised when the man in question came to stand behind him. Connor gazed at the screens and his attention fixed on one in particular.<p>

"Are you ever going to tell her?" Connor probed seriously.

"Tell who what?" Becker quizzed without turning around.

"Jess…. That you love her." Now Becker swivelled around to face Connor.

"What makes you say that?" Becker raised an eyebrow.

"I've seen the two of you together, I may have had my head in the clouds these last few weeks, but I do notice. That time the building was overrun with Beetles, you carried her through the ARC for nearly an hour trying to make sure she was okay. Then just now when Matt told you they'd have to stay in the building, your face. If looks could kill, Matt'd be dead right now. If that's not love, I don't know what is…"

"You wouldn't understand…" Becker stated. Connor pulled up a chair.

"Try me…." Becker gazed at Connor for a moment, assessing him. He figured he could trust Connor, he had known him for long enough. If they could not talk now, when could they talk?

"Back when I was serving in Afghanistan, I fell in love with this girl. Turns out she was the General's daughter. I felt so awkward asking her out, Just because of who her father was. When we eventually came back to the UK, her father gave me permission to go out with his daughter. The date went horribly wrong…" Becker gazed into the distance, his far-away eyes unfocused.

"What happened?" Connor asked quietly.

Becker turned to watch the ADD screens once more.

"I had to leave her for a moment. I was only gone for a few minutes, when I got back she was gone. The police found her dumped in an alleyway. She'd been raped." Connor winced.

"Don't get me wrong, I had nothing to do with it. But police found traces of my DNA on her lips. I was arrested, but never charged. They didn't have enough evidence. General Miller... He made my life hell. The shame of being arrested like that... I felt as if couldn't carry on working there. So I left. I left the Army and started here."

"And that makes a difference because? ..." asked Connor.

"Lisa, the General's daughter, she was a Field Co-Coordinator." Suddenly everything clicked into place.

"Ah, Jess is not only the 'Boss's daughter', but she's also a Field Co-ordinator... History repeats itself." Becker nodded solemnly.

A heavy silence hung in the air the men not wanting to say much else.

Connor gazed at the screen with Lester's room on it.

"Can you remember the first time you met Lester?" Connor spoke up.

"I can actually, I think one of the team member's had died and I had been brought in to protect you all. He said something like…. "Professor Cutter won't like you, and he'll go out of his way to make your job as difficult as possible. Don't take it personally…." Not the most encouraging!" Becker chuckled.

Connor smiled bitterly, he gulped he remembered Stephen dying. It had not been a pleasant experience. "Yeah that was Stephen; he was Cutter's right-hand man. I been here on and off for so long, I can't even remember the first time I met Lester."

"Do you remember the first time you met Cutter?" Becker questioned, turning slightly to look at the screens. Conner smiled properly recalling the first time he had spoken to the professor.

"He was my college Professor. I ran up behind him shouting his name, and when he stopped I introduced myself. He got confused, and said that I was in the wrong place and he pointed me to Archaeology Department. Can you imagine that…. A place called Connor Temple? ..." He snickered.

"Afterwards we had gone looking for a creature at The Forest of Dean. It's where I met Abby. She was in the forest, a little boy had found Rex and they'd gone to find out where he'd come from. We stumbled across this enormous Gorgonopsid…. Cutter and Stephen sent the creature back through the anomaly, but Rex, he came back, and Abby didn't want all the government Officials poking and prodding him, so she kept him….." Connor finally stopped a faraway look in his eyes. He was so far away that he hadn't noticed that Matt had come up behind him and had stood listening to his story for the last five minutes.

Matt spoke up. "Trip down memory lane?" Connor jumped.

"Don't do that...! You frightened the life out of me!" Connor tried to calm down "I could be the next one to kick the bucket you know!"

"Oh Stop it...! You haven't been bitten yet!" Matt chastised his Irish tones becoming more pronounced.

"Sorry"

Becker shook his head.

"So... you two have any anecdotes to share?" Matt enquired, curious as to how Becker and Connor got on before Conner and Abby had been stuck in the Cretaceous.

Connor grinned.

"Becker, you remember the time at the Hospital? Where we found Sid and Nancy?" Becker snorted and grinned.

"As a matter of fact... I do!" Becker smirked. Connor grinned.

"What ever happened to them?"

"Well after you disappeared, Sarah and I went to the flat to rescue all the animals, all the normal animals were sent to Zoos around the country. Sid, Nancy and Rex ended up here. Sid and Nancy really missed you, they went off their food, didn't run around so much, I think they lost the will to live. So when an anomaly opened to their own time we sent them back through." Becker glanced back at Connor's now sad face.

"If it makes you feel better, they really perked up seeing more of their own kind, they settled straight away. They even ran off to find food. They looked _REALLY_ happy the last time we saw them..." Becker smiled reassuringly.

"Thanks for telling me... That day we found them at the hospital was amazing...! I seem to remember you called me Dr Doolittle!"

"I seem to remember you called me Action Man on my first day!" Becker replied smiling. "For the record... Don't Ever Call me Action Man again!"

"How about you two, remember the first time you met?" Connor smiled. Becker grunted. Matt raised his eyebrows.

"Becker and I didn't see eye to eye at first. When I came in, I started changing a lot of things, Becker was none too happy. I wanted the soldiers to wear civvies, making them less conspicuous. Becker didn't agree, he said that black uniforms promoted unity and gave his men authority in the field...! I agreed to let it go, but I brought in the EMD's. Becker was none too happy about that either. I think he called them "Toy Guns"... Matt recalled. He continued. "So I gave him a demonstration... I shot him!" Matt grinned at the memory.

For the first time in that day Connor laughed. "You... shot Action Man... With... an EMD!" Connor could not stop chuckling.

"Just so that you know Matt, I felt awful for days afterwards." Becker was the only one not smiling. Becker turned around and faced Matt. There was something he had wanted to say for ages, the thought had sat very uncomfortably in the pit of his stomach and he just had to say something.

"Matt we've got until 6 am until the explosives are to be detonated, right?" Becker looked directly into Matt's eyes. Matt almost knew what was coming. His Head of Security was really not happy about the particular chain of events; he prepared to hear him out.

"If everything goes well and we manage to give Lester his final blood transfusion with no hitches, can we ensure that Caroline and Jess are sent away to join Abby and Emily?" There, he'd said it; hopefully Matt would consider his answer.

Matt breathed deeply.

"If all goes well we may not need to use the explosives at all, but if you mean for Jess and Caroline not to be in the building? Or we can give them the option... Yeah I think we can do that."

"So we will tell them what will happen at 6.00 o'clock... That's good," Becker sighed; at least he would be able to send Jess and Caroline away too. Suddenly his eyes went cold and serious. He stood and stared at the screen that pointed into Jess' room.

"What's going on there?" he pointed at the screen and looked at Matt and Connor. They watched for a moment, Becker grabbed three EMD's and threw one to Matt and one to Connor, before they sprinted across the corridors along to the medical bays.

Silently Becker's mind screamed... _**JESS!**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Sorry about the wait people... But there we go...<strong>_

_**Don't forget to read and review.**_

_**YouHaveLovelyHair wanted me to do a naked Connor in this story... I wonder if anyone can tell me which Chapter it's in? ...**_


	18. Chapter 18

**The Changing Face of Lester. **

**_Sorry in advance for such a short chapter... _**

**_Hopefully you will still enjoy._**

* * *

><p><em>"What's going on there?" he pointed at the screen and looked at Matt and Connor. They watched for a moment, Becker grabbed three EMD's and threw one to Matt and one to Connor, before they sprinted across the corridors along to the medical bays.<em>

_Silently Becker's mind screamed... **JESS!**_

* * *

><p><strong>8.15 pm...<strong>

Jess was still laying down on her bed in the Medical Bay. Caroline fretted around her, checking blood pressure, pulse and heart rate. She frowned and looked down at the bag of blood in her hands. It was the third bag they had managed to extract and now Jess looked very pale. Caroline sighed; she would not let Jess donate any more blood. She wondered if it would be enough. She had ensured that James' second bag of blood had been given and now she prepared to wait. Becker came running in, followed by Matt and then Connor.

"What's wrong...? Why's Jess like that...? What's happened to her...?" Becker stammered. Caroline looked at him and shook her head.

"Nothing's wrong, it's just..."

"Just what?" Matt queried.

"Jess has lost too much blood... her body needs time to recuperate." Caroline took a deep breath. "This third bag is ready to be given to James, but _HE_ is not ready for _IT_!" Caroline began withdrawing needles from Jess' arm. She walked over to a nearby fridge. They would have to wait possibly until morning.

Matt shook his head. "Is there anything we can do?"

Caroline paused, took a deep breath and spoke. "We've taken three pints of blood from Jess, she's weak, and her blood pressure is low and her pulse too. We can't take anymore blood from her, not this week. She just needs time to regenerate the blood that we've taken,"

Connor piped up "But unlike Lester, Jess doesn't need to have a genetic link," Caroline nodded.

"SO what blood type is she?" asked Becker eagerly.

"Be positive." Caroline simply replied.

"No, I _AM_ being positive...! What's her blood type?" He asked again, not understanding what she had said.

"Her blood type _is_ ... B positive" Caroline clarified.

"Great, so you can take a pint of mine and give it to Jess with no problem?" Becker queried trying to make sure that he wouldn't be putting Jess' life in any more danger.

"So long as your blood type matches... Yes"

Becker nodded. Caroline prepared the needles once more. This time to extract from Becker – for Jess.

* * *

><p>Caroline checked the blood, confirmed Becker's blood type before continuing. She gave Becker the bed next to Jess' to lay upon. Becker watched as Caroline inserted the needle, he felt the pin prick as it went in and he watched as his blood came trickling out and into the bag that Caroline had prepared. He hoped that this procedure would indeed save Jess' life. He hated the thought that their lives could possibly end so quickly, and he would do whatever he could to ensure that Jess not only lived, but was eliminated from the list of people to possibly die.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>I hope that was not too short...<strong>

**I'll try to get the next chapter up soon. **

**Please read and review... I like reading your reviews...**

**By the way just HOW many people are reading this?**


	19. Chapter 19

**The Changing Face of Lester. **

_**Jess has lost too much blood and HER life is now in danger!**_

_**(Another short chapter,... Sorry!)**_

* * *

><p><strong>9.00 pm<strong>

Connor walked slowly back to his lab with Matt.

"Don't forget to call Abby, tell her the latest. If everything is ok I want you to ring her before she starts the destruction program. Again tell her that if she doesn't hear from you, then she's to start that program." Matt instructed.

Connor disappeared to his lab. He picked up his mobile phone and called Abby's number.

* * *

><p>Abby had returned with Emily to Jess' flat. Emily had prepared a meal for Abby, and Abby had sat down with a heavy heart to eat but had not managed anything. She had sat and picked at her food, she felt nauseous; she wanted Connor and just did not feel like eating. Even when Emily had insisted that going hungry was not good for her growing baby, Abby still could not eat.<p>

She was still sat at the dining table when her phone rang. She looked at the display and smiled excitedly. It was Connor. She answered immediately.

She picked up the phone and started chatting enthusiastically. Even though it was comforting to hear each other voices Connor felt it wasn't enough. He suggested switching to the computer and talking on the webcam. The webcam showed truths that were hidden by the phone. A vice like grip clenched at Connor's heart as he took in how withdrawn she had become. He saw red puffy eyes and he could tell she had been crying for ages. Uneasiness squeezed at his insides as he realised that he was the root of Abby's tears.

Abby blinked away the tears that were threatening to fall. She didn't want to cry in front of Connor, this was possibly the last time she would see him alive. She drank in the sight of him, as an ache seized hold around her heart.

They talked for ages, the sight of each other becoming very relaxing. They talked about the old days, of Stephen, Cutter, Jenny and Danny. They wondered what would have happened if Cutter and Stephen were still alive, if Danny had not gone back through the anomaly to be lost in time. Knowing that Abby would be left all alone he asked her to find Jenny and tell her of his misfortune and to keep in touch with her. He wanted her to live out the rest of her life away from the anomalies and the ARC.

They talked of their favourite times together, of all the creatures they had come across, both the creatures that they kept in the menagerie, and the ones that they had come across in the cretaceous.

It was Abby who spoke of her favourite story that Connor told her. It was the one where Jack had gambled Rex away and Connor and Becker had disappeared for a few hours to bring him back. She smiled as Connor retold the story.

It was then that Abby started to apologise, she had felt guilty for sending Connor away when her brother had come to stay, and now would be her one and only chance for her to apologise. Connor shook his head... He had no regrets about that particular incident. Her brother had needed a place to stay and it was only fair that he should stay with her. He tried to clear any misunderstanding that would make Abby feel sad. He loved her; he cared for her, and wanted nothing more than a safe future for her and Luke.

It was at this point that he confirmed with her that she would indeed call their child Luke. At first she had been unsure of Connor's choice of names, but after having seen the young man that had so bravely fought alongside his mother that morning, she had relented. Now she nodded in agreement with Connor about the choice of name for his son.

Connor was the one who convinced Abby that she ought to eat, even if she wasn't hungry. After an hour of chatting, she disconnected, but only after Connor had promised that he would send her a message before 6.00 am.

* * *

><p>Back in the Medical Bay, Becker continued donating blood for Jess. Caroline monitored Becker's vital signs along with Jess. She had berated herself for taking so much blood from the young girl, even though Jess herself had insisted. Hopefully Becker's donated blood would ensure Jess' recovery.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Will they survive the night?<strong>

**Will Jess and Lester get better?**

**Please review...**


	20. Chapter 20

**The Changing Face of Lester. **

_This next chapter is dedicated to __YouHavelovelyHair, she set me a challenge of doing a naked Connor... _

_So here goes..._

_**Becker - donating Blood for Jess,**_

_**Jess has given more blood than she should have,**_

_**Abby - brokenhearted,**_

_**Emily - trying to keep going.**_

* * *

><p><strong>10.00 pm...<strong>

Connor disconnected his webcam. He checked his mobile phone. He checked the power; surely it would be ok if he left it on until the morning. He left it on his desk and sauntered across to the break room. Here he found Matt sprawled across the only couch in the room. He would have to find somewhere else to sleep. He felt tired. He had been working non-stop for Phillip these last few weeks and the constant working was beginning to take toll. He felt immensely tired. He crouched in front of the fridge and looked inside. There was a half-eaten loaf of bread, half a pint of milk, some cheese slices and his favourite ketchup.

Connor stood up. Suddenly he didn't feel hungry anymore. He walked down to the locker rooms; he looked around the empty room. The place felt strangely eerie. Nevertheless, he found a towel and walked across to the shower stalls. He turned on the water, and peeled off his clothes while waiting for the water to heat up. He stretched his arms and he glanced in the mirror before getting into the shower. He had lost some weight in the cretaceous and since coming back he'd been weight lifting too, he looked lean and nicely toned, and he flexed his growing muscles, pleased at the results of his training and of what he saw. He thought of Abby. She would certainly get a kick if she saw him now.

He remembered how in the Cretaceous they had found a waterfall and had been able to use it like a shower. He had been caught spying on her as she bathed; he was supposed to be keeping a lookout for creatures. Abby had scolded him terribly, but had then turned and had simply said "My turn... To watch you!" and had then continued to watch him as he stripped and took his own shower. The first time had unnerved him, but then the simple act of watching each other as they cleansed had become common place, and in the end neither of them had minded.

Connor stepped into the shower and let the water bounce off his shoulders. He rolled his shoulders and let the blistering hot water ease the tension in his neck and shoulders, a small groan escaping his lips. He was soaping himself down when he heard footsteps. Connor froze under the scorching, hot running water.

* * *

><p>Matt slept lightly; he had woken suddenly when he heard the sound of running water. He followed the sound to the locker room. It was either Becker or Connor in the showers. He went in and saw the pile of clothes on the benches. When he saw the blue t-shirt he realised it could not be Becker. He was sure that Becker didn't even own a single item of clothing that was not black.<p>

Connor stood in the shower, wondering who it was outside, it could only be Becker or Matt. He wondered what they wanted.

"Becker…. Is that you?" He shouted unsure of whoever was outside.

"It's me…. Matt!"

"Did you want me for anything?"

"It can wait... 'til you're ready….." Matt walked over to his own locker. He wasn't sure just what he wanted from inside, but since his stance left him with his back to the showers he felt that it was more appropriate than just waiting on one of the benches.

Connor turned off the water and surreptitiously grabbed a towel. He dried himself off and wrapped it around his waist before stepping out. He glanced at Matt's back before grabbing his trousers and disappearing in one of the cubicles to put them on.

He stood behind Matt having fastened the buttons on his jeans.

"What can I do for you?" he asked finally. Matt turned around, grateful that Connor was partially dressed. He noticed the feint scars that ran across Connor's chest, almost as if a creature had run his claws across his chest. It was obviously an old injury¸ one that had healed up. He looked into Connor's eyes.

"Did you ring Abby?" Matt checked. Connor nodded.

"Is she ok?"

"I really don't know... I could tell that she'd been crying ... she hadn't eaten... I'm not sure about this. It's putting an awful lot of pressure on her to blow the place up." Connor recalled the way she had looked on the webcam. He had realised that it must be incredibly hard for her to accept what she had to do and that it was the only way they could guarantee a predator free future.

"Why don't you go home...? You don't need to be here...! Stay with Abby, look after Emily." Connor started to shake his head even before Matt had finished. He pulled on his t-shirt.

"I want to see this through Matt... no matter what the outcome. If I die... then I die knowing that at least I tried to stop the world becoming that… that... _Wilderness_ we saw this morning..." Connor looked at Matt seriously. "I can't just leave you and Becker here."

Matt shrugged. "Your decision," Matt began to walk away.

Connor picked up his shoes and began to follow Matt.

"I'm going to get some sleep in the break room." Matt stated.

"I'll head towards the medical bays." Connor stopped in the break room to put his shoes on and then walked away.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Will anybody sleep tonight?<strong>_

_**Or are they too wound up?**_

_**Are there really only three people reading this?...**_

_**How about all the others who have this on alerts?**_

_**Please read and review...**_


	21. Chapter 21

**The Changing Face of Lester. **

* * *

><p>Thank you to all who have sent Reviews<p>

**Sorry for not updating sooner... and sorry for the previous chapter.**

* * *

><p><strong>Midnight...<strong>

Becker walked through the building checking all the windows and doors. Donating a pint of blood for Jess had not taken long and Caroline had long since removed the needle from Becker, and had set up the transfusion for Jess. With Becker as back-up, Caroline had set up the second blood transfusion for Lester.

He had found Connor settling down to sleep in one of the other Medical bays. He insisted that Caroline should get some rest and leaving her in the same room with Connor and an EMD, he prepared to settle down for some rest himself. He positioned himself in the bed between Lester's room and in the same room as Jess. With Lester to his left and Jess to his right, he began to settle down. He dimmed the lights and placed his EMD beside his bed, and took off his t-shirt.

Becker laced his fingers behind his head and lay down. Memories began to plague him. Ones of Connor, Abby and Danny being lost in time. He recalled with a heavy heart just how he had felt when they didn't come back through the anomaly from the future. He had struggled with the fact that he had led a rescue mission into the future, only to lose Sarah. Sarah's death had changed him, in a way he thought could never be possible. The ARC program had been suspended while the Government made enquires in to how four core team members had gone missing or had died. He had sunk so low that it seemed almost impossible for him to redeem himself. He felt as if he had let the whole team down, including Lester. He believed that he had failed once more in protecting those he had grown to care for. It was then, that he had resigned.

It was only when the Government started to interview those involved that he realised that the Agency wanted Lester to continue, and Lester, wanted him to reconsider his resignation. In fact, Lester had refused to carry on without him. He felt indebted to Lester for that, and would do anything to help him.

The pangs of guilt he had felt when he had found out that Lester became the first creature had been nothing compared to that of when he had to wire the explosive devices in the building. Becker felt guilty, he berated himself, and he felt as if he was betraying Lester, knowing that he would be responsible for not only his death but also the death of his wife and daughter.

Suddenly he heard a soft moan, instantly bringing him back to the present. He put on his t-shirt, not wanting to be seen half-naked.

He stood up.

"Hey….. Sleeping Beauty finally awakes." He smiled and strolled over to Jess' bed.

"Sleeping Beauty had a kiss from a handsome prince ….. Where's mine?" She asked cheekily, still half asleep.

"I'm no prince, and I'm certainly not handsome enough for you…" Becker smiled.

"Oh, I don't know...From where I'm lying... You seem fine to me..." Jess smiled drowsily and sighed in appreciation.

Becker felt his throat go dry when he realised that she was flirting with him.

"Are you feeling alright? I'm not quite sure that you're being yourself!" Becker admonished as he remembered how she was related to Lester.

"I'm tired, light headed, and sore. " Jess grumbled.

"Ahh…. You need something to eat… Caroline said that when you woke you were to be given something to eat. And these…" Becker picked up a small vial containing some tablets in one hand and poured a glass of water with the other.

Jess read the wording on the tablets "Ferrous sulphate…. Iron tablets?" Becker nodded, impressed that she knew what the tablets were.

"They will help build up your strength."

Jess took the tablets and tried to sit up before she swallowed them. She let out a soft moan as her head began to spin. She put a hand to her head to stop the spinning sensation.

"You stay here; I'll go and get Caroline." Becker turned away for a moment when Jess stopped him.

"I'll be fine, no need to call anyone." She crumbled back into bed, closing her eyes, feeling very weak. "Please stay…." She mumbled.

"Don't you want anything to eat?" Jess shook her head. She reached up towards Becker, when he put his hand in hers; she smiled, wishing she had the energy to squeeze his hand as he squeezed hers.

"Not even chocolate?" Jess shook her head weakly. Taking comfort from holding his hand, and just knowing that he was there, Jess fell asleep. Becker sighed. He looked over to her other arm, which had a simple bandage and a transfusion needle inserted. He followed the line up, up to the bag which hung above her head.

He smiled to himself, that was his blood that was being used to keep Jess alive and he felt pleasantly satisfied by it.

* * *

><p><strong>Having seen the number of people who were distraught at my not continuing to write...<strong>

**I am expecting a lot of reviews...**

**Readers please review... One word will suffice! :-)**

* * *

><p><em>I know that reviewing is sometimes not easy... but I enjoy getting reviews...<em>

_If you want me to update..._


	22. Chapter 22

**The Changing Face of Lester. **

**Sorry about the short chapter but here goes...**

* * *

><p><strong>1.00 am...<strong>

Emily could not sleep and she tossed and turned in Jess' bed. She had become comfortable to having Matt sleeping beside her, and now she felt cold and miserable.

Emily began thinking about Henry, the man she had been forced to marry, her father had positively glowed at the union, and Emily's father had wanted her to marry Henry so that he could boost his own position within society! Emily had not hated Henry, merely disliked him. He made SO many demands of her, asking her to go to parties with him, host parties for people she didn't really like. She was supposed to act in a civilised manner, one befitting a "Lady of her Stature" as Henry had said once.

Oh how she had detested those parties! She was glad she was not there now. In fact she was glad that Henry was no more.

_Did that make her a bad person?_ For not liking her husband, and being happy at being a single woman once again?

Emily sighed. If she had stayed in 1867, how would people accept her? Being a widow in that era?

Emily knew that a widow would never leave her home without black attire and weeping veil for the first full year. Her social agenda would have been church related. Widows were expected to mourn for a minimum of two years! She would have had to have worn black from head to toe, and have to had waited for two years before she could marry again and even then if she had no children.

It would only have been in the secondary mourning, the last six months of the second year, where the widow could remove the full mourning attire, including the veil. Small amounts of trim and colour could have been added to the dress, but the black dress would have had to remain.

She wondered if she could have lived like that for a man she did not care for...

_No_.

Emily had discovered that she _liked _living in the 21st Century. She had never expected to find herself surrounded by people who she could trust so much. She never expected to make so many friends and _certainly never_ expected to fall in love.

She got up to go to the bathroom. It was then that she noticed that the kitchen light was on. She went to investigate. She found Abby sat at the kitchen table, tears streaming down her cheeks once again. Even in her tired state Abby found that she could not sleep. She was worried, worried about Connor. If she was not contacted by Connor before 6.00 am she knew she would have to start the destruction sequence and it was tearing her apart.

Emily could feel her despair; she would have felt _just _as bad if Matt had asked her. She made some tea for herself and Abby, they could talk for a little while before trying to sleep once more, but she had a feeling that no-one would be getting much sleep that night.

Abby and Emily talked, with Abby telling Emily all about Connor. The way they had met, tales of how they became involved with the ARC, the tales of how each anomaly seemed to bring her and Connor together. She spoke of their time in the cretaceous and Abby discovered that during her travels Emily had been there too. They compared stories of the past and Future, and Abby wished that she had gone with the men that morning. Connor had been very evasive about events there and had not spoken at length about them, something that Abby now wished that he had done.

She thought for a moment the future version of herself must have told Connor what had happened, she could not imagine herself doing anything different. The events must have been upsetting for him not to have told her anything about them.

* * *

><p><em>Had he known he was going to die when they came back? <em>

_What had been in that memory stick that the future Abby had given them? _

_Did it have all the answers that they needed?_

* * *

><p><strong><em>Hey readers... I'd love to hear what you thought...<em>**

**_Please review Doesn't matter how small (Smiley will do!)_**


	23. Chapter 23

**The Changing Face of Lester. **

**I hope you like this next chapter... **

* * *

><p><strong>3.30 am<strong>

Slumber evaded Becker.

He really wasn't happy about Caroline and Jess remaining in the building. He made his way to the break room to make a coffee. He put the kettle on, and began pacing the room. Connor had seen him sneak past and had decided to join him.

Matt couldn't switch off either. He lay on the couch with his eyes closed. His mind being plagued with a thousand different scenarios. He couldn't help but notice Becker's pacing. Matt kept his eyes closed, but all he could hear was Becker's footsteps as he paced.

Connor came in and seeing no space on the couch, hauled himself onto one of the worktops.

"Can't sleep?" He asked. Becker shook his head. Connor continued as quietly as he could. "Me neither!"

He watched as Becker paced, the soldiers steps becoming more and more agitated.

"You alright?" Connor questioned after watching for a few moments.

Becker turned around to face him and sighed deeply.

"Jess... and Caroline... I just wish they didn't have to be here!" Becker clenched his fists in frustration.

"What would do with them?" Matt asked his eyes still closed. He'd been speculating since their meeting about how to get Caroline and Jess out of the building... but to no avail. There was no simple resolution. Jess had to stay until she had been given enough blood for her to regain consciousness, and Caroline, as the only person with a medical background, had to stay until Lester had been given his last blood transfusion. Sighing with dissatisfaction, he opened his eyes and sat up.

"Sorry for waking you..." Connor mumbled. Matt shook his head at him.

"I was awake before you came in!" Admitted Matt. He angled his head towards Becker. "Well?"

"I'd have them sent away from here as soon as possible. Caroline's a civilian, for crying out loud...! She shouldn't even be here...!" Matt heard the anger in his voice, but there was something else troubling the young man.

"Go on...!" stated Matt getting agitated himself.

"Jess, well she shouldn't be here either, if anything..." Becker stopped the anger and sheer frustration stopping him from forming any more words in his head.

"If anything what...?" Matt growled he knew exactly what was on Becker's mind, even if he didn't care to admit it. He was in love with Jess and wanted her out of the building when it blew. He was just being blind to the whole situation and wanted the love of his life out of harm's way! He shook his head.

"Come on Becker, don't you think I know what's going on in that thick skull of yours?" He stood up as he protested. "I know you want to get Jess out of the building and I know why too, even though you're too damned afraid to admit it...!"

Becker seethed. His eyes turned to slits as he replied. "Afraid... of... What...?" He spat, venom in his voice.

"Oh... Come on... You can't even admit to the girl that you love her?" Matt bellowed back at him. "Hell you can't even admit to us that you love Jess...?"

Becker took a deep breath and closed his eyes, lowering his head to his chest. He thought to himself... Did he _really _love Jess? Would he spill the beans and tell Matt. He might as well... He was pretty sure that he was not going to see sunset of the following day.

"OK... I do love Jess... You got a problem with that...? And how about Emily... Have you told her how you feel about her...?" Becker shouted back. Matt saw red... And before he could stop himself he had stepped up to Becker and punched him in the face.

Becker's head jerked in response to Matt's punch. But he stood still, unmoving glaring at Matt. He felt the soreness in his cheek, and wiped blood away from the corner of his lip with the back of his hand. He knew he had touched a raw nerve with Matt.

Connor jumped down from his perch, and grabbed Matt by the arms. He didn't want either of them thumping each other. Matt shrugged him away. Becker stood his ground, scowling at Matt.

_"THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT JESS, OR EMILY, OR CAROLINE... OR LESTER... OR EVEN US!"_ Matt walked over to the worktop. He rested his hands on it before continuing. "_I DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO DIE!"_ He snarled between his clenched teeth and banged his fist onto the worktop, making the kettle shake.

Becker felt like an _Idiot!_ He should have known that the idea to blow the place up had not agreed to Matt either. He should have realised that Matt had made the suggestion, knowing that there was no alternative. It was either Lester became normal... Or they died!

Connor just stared at Becker, waiting for some sort of reaction. Matt steadied his breathing, he then turned around to Becker.

"You know you don't have to stay either," Becker opened his mouth to say something but was stopped when he saw Matt holding up a finger. Matt continued. "When Jess has had her blood transfusion, and Caroline has set up the last one for Lester, I want you and Connor to take both Caroline and Jess away from the ARC."

Becker bit his lip, considering what Matt had just said. It was a way out, but, it was not good enough. He shook his head negatively.

"No Matt, We send Caroline and Jess away, but I'm going to stay...!" Becker stated calmly. "I'm Head of Security, for Christ's Sake!"

"Damn you...! _BOTH OF YOU_!" Matt shouted furiously. He banged his fist on the counter again making the kettle rattle once more. He rubbed his hands over his face, and then sighed and took a deep breath.

"You know a part of me broke this morning when I saw the future Abby..." Matt looked up at Connor. "The way she looked, the way she reacted to you Connor! Then the disc..." He grunted. "It just breaks my heart knowing that she lived through all of it without you! She lived alone for _SO_ many years. Waiting for that one chance, that one opportunity to see you again!" Matt blinked away tears in his eyes. "Connor... go home! And you Becker! I'll send Jess when she's OK to be transported out of here."

Becker and Connor looked at each other, and shook their heads in unison. "No!" they stated together.

Matt frowned. He looked around him. He had an idea and now he looked for something to implement it. He opened one of the drawers behind him and found what he was looking for. He pulled out three straws and a knife. Carefully so as Connor and Becker couldn't see, he pretended to cut the straws in half. He folded the ends and held them in his fist, with only the ends of the straws poking out.

"OK... We decide who takes Caroline and Jess home this way." He held out the straws. "I've cut one of these straws, one of them is short. The person who draws the short straw has to stay; the people who draw the long straws take Jess and Caroline to safety... Deal?"

Connor and Becker looked at each other, not sure whether they could trust this method. Connor breathed deeply...

What did he have to lose?

He reached over to Matt's clenched fist and gently started to pull... His breath hitched as he pulled...

He sighed as he looked at the long straw. It could be possible that he could go home and see Abby!

Becker gulped as he reached out and started to pull...

He shook his head as he pulled out a long straw. This meant that he and Connor would be sent to be with the girls. He sighed he still wasn't happy.

"You fixed this," Becker scrunched up his straw angrily. "You fixed it so that you'd have to be in the building when it blew!... YOU FIXED THIS!" Becker shouted as his fist flew across to Matt. Connor tried to stop him and ended up with a fist in his face instead. Becker threw another punch and this time it met his target.

Matt stumbled backwards... His clenched hand opening as he tried to steady himself, he dropped the remaining straw to the floor.

Becker was livid as he saw the straw drop. He bent down to pick it up. He took the straw from Connor's hand and threw all three of them to the worktop behind him. It was a ploy, of Matt's to have him and Connor sent away.

_"THE DEAL IS OFF!"_ he roared as he turned and walked away, fuming.

Connor stared at the straws feeling betrayed. "I thought you were better than that Matt..." he rubbed his jaw and followed Becker.

_"DAMN!"_ Matt shouted and banged his fist on the counter once more. The kettle protested as it fell over, spilling water everywhere. "Damn..." he growled again as he started to mop up water.

* * *

><p><strong>Please readers tell me what you thought...<strong>

**Reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	24. Chapter 24

**The Changing Face of Lester. **

_Jess has lost too much blood, is being given Becker's blood to help her survive._

_Matt, Becker and Connor struggle with the idea of blowing up the building._

_Lester has changed... Is it too late for him to change back?_

_The clock ticks away..._

* * *

><p><strong>5.30 am...<strong>

A bleary eyed Abby sat in front of the computer with her mobile phone in her hand. She had fallen asleep, and then had began dreaming. She dreamt that she and Connor were on a beach, running along hand in hand. Connor had kissed her and had said I love you time and time again. He had let go of her hand and walking backwards, he had been pulled through an anomaly that had opened up behind him. Being sucked backwards, away from her outstretched hand. Abby had woken from this sobbing uncontrollably. That was an hour ago and now she just sat willing her phone to ring.

**_If she rang him now, would he answer? _**

**_Was he asleep? _**

**_Or had he had been bitten and was preparing to die?_**

Abby looked up at Emily as she exited the bedroom and voiced her concern. Emily nodded she should try ringing him before doing anything else.

Abby punched in Connor's mobile number.

In Connor's lab the phone started to _ring, it rang, and it rang and it rang_.

Abby disconnected and tried again.

Again the phone rang – into Connor's empty lab.

Abby sniffed, the sniffing led to tears and she sat in front of the computer, silently weeping.

* * *

><p><strong>5.50 am...<strong>

Now having recovered enough to stand, Jess stood alongside Caroline.

Matt, Becker and Connor had come to a mutual agreement between themselves and put their differences behind them. They agreed to help Caroline so she could change the last blood bag that had been donated by Jess. She had been asked to wait outside the room until Matt was sure that she would not be in any danger.  
>All of them had EMD's in hand. It was now or never. Either Lester's condition improved or they would have to shoot, before he could infect anyone else.<br>Matt looked at the figure on the bed. It certainly did not look anything like Lester. It looked more like a future predator. He had a horrible thought...

**_Were they too late?_**

Matt went in first the figure on the bed was clearly awake and they would have to administer more sedatives before the blood transfusion. The figure moved off the bed as Connor went in followed closely by Becker.  
>Connor kept his eyes focused on the creature as it swayed towards him, the drugs in its system slowing it down considerably. Its long scaly arms connected with the EMD in Connor's hands and it clattered to the floor noisily.<br>He bent down to pick it up and immediately wished he hadn't done so. It reached out and put one of those long scaly arms on Connor's shoulder.

Connor froze. _'This is it!'_ he thought to himself a lump rising in his throat and his gut twisted into knots. He scrunched up his eyes as he thought ..._'This is it! I'm going to die!'_... Other thoughts went tumbling through his head all of Abby, of the son he would never meet, how he would miss her and how she would miss him.

Mentally he howled... _**'I don't want to die!'**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Will Connor be bitten?<strong>_

_**Is this the END for Connor?**_

_**Is there no hope for Lester?**_

_**Will Abby start the Destruction Procedure?**_

_**Will the building explode in 10 minutes...?**_

_**Will the others manage to get out of the building in time?**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Please let me know what YOU want to happen...<strong>_

_**There's only one way to do it... REVIEW**_


	25. Chapter 25

**The Changing Face of Lester. **

* * *

><p><strong>I've just realised I haven't done this... So i'm going to do it now...<strong>

**I'd like to thank Lovingthis and YouhaveLovelyHair for their help and guidance with this story. They've been brilliant!**

* * *

><p>Will Connor be bitten?<p>

Is this the END for Connor?

Is there no hope for Lester?

Will the building explode in 10 minutes...?

Will the others manage to get out of the building in time?

* * *

><p><em>The figure moved off the bed as Connor went in followed closely by Becker.<em>  
><em>Connor kept his eyes focused on the creature as it swayed towards him, the drugs in its system slowing it down considerably. Its long scaly arms connected with the EMD in Connor's hands and it clattered to the floor noisily.<em>  
><em>He bent down to pick it up and immediately wished he hadn't done so. It reached out and put one of those long scaly arms on Connor's shoulder.<em>

_Connor froze. 'This is it!' he thought to himself a lump rising in his throat and his gut twisted into knots. He scrunched up his eyes as he thought ...'This is it! I'm going to die!'... Other thoughts went tumbling through his head all of Abby, of the son he would never meet, how he would miss her and how she would miss him. Mentally he howled... **'I don't want to die!'**_

* * *

><p>Becker tensed. He raised his EMD, at the same time slating himself for what he was about to do. He thought fondly of the man he worked for and unconsciously he thought of the first time he had ever met James Lester. He also recalled the time that Lester had asked for him to reconsider his resignation and felt guilty.<p>

Mentally he kicked himself… This was Jess's father. The father of the girl he loved!

Matt stood for a moment; he saw the agony on Connor's face, the torment on Becker's. He stopped to look at Lester. Something was happening. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Becker tighten his grip on the EMD, poised to shoot.  
>"Wait…. Something's happening….. Just wait" he told Becker who lowered his weapon slightly.<p>

Lester's face was changing still, only the predator like features that were there before were disappearing. He still had the greyish green tinge to his skin but now he could make out a nose, a forehead and ears. Matt was sure they had not been there moments ago.

* * *

><p>Caroline feared that this was indeed the end. She had seen the men entering the Lester's room armed with the special guns that they carried and had been <em>very <em>concerned as to what they would do.

She watched tensely as the soldier called Becker aimed at her husband. She gasped and heard Matt's voice asking the soldier to wait.

Connor wished that something would happen, _and soon_, the suspense, and distress starting to become too much for him. He had clamped his eyes shut when the creature had laid a scaly claw on his shoulder and refused to open them, but whereas he had felt the cold claw on his shoulder earlier, he now felt warm fingers. He opened one eye cautiously to glance over his shoulder. What he saw, was clearly not what he was expecting.  
>He turned slightly and looked into Lester's face. It was still greenish and scaly, but he could make out features.<p>

Lester tried to take deep breaths, his body felt as if it was on fire. Slowly he opened his eyes. He could make out a pair of black boots. He followed the boots up and saw Becker. He took in his stance. He hoped the young man was not planning to shoot him. He tried to talk, a hoarse whisper coming out. He coughed and tried again, this time stronger.  
>"Becker…. What….do… you…. Think …. You're…. Doing!" Lester whispered, hoarsely trying to sound as intimidating as he could.<p>

Becker lowered his gun immediately, as did Matt. They exchanged glances; their boss was still there…... _Somewhere._

"Let's get him back onto the bed." Matt and Becker slung the straps to the EMD's over their shoulders and helped him back onto the bed.

Connor moved gingerly, he looked over to the bed where Lester was now sitting, looking more himself. He took several deep breaths. _'I hope this is all over now!'_ he thought to himself.

Matt and Becker stood either side of the bed as close as possible as Caroline prepared the next blood bag. They did not want to take any chances that could put Caroline's life in danger.

Once the procedure was complete, they all exited the room. Just to be on the safe side Matt locked the door.

He looked at his watch, "Connor have you rang Abby yet.?"

Connor gasped._ "No!" _He turned and tore down the corridor as fast as he could. He hammered the control panel to his lab to gain entry, rushed in and grabbed his mobile phone. He looked at his watch...

5.58 am...

Connor grabbed his mobile phone.

"Argggh!" he screamed and slammed it back down on his desk. He had lost any battery power he had. The phone was dead.

He looked around his office to look for a landline. Spotting a phone he rushed over and picked up the handset.

He screamed again... This phone was dead too. He couldn't understand why. He grasped the extension lead that should have been attached to the wall and pulled. He looked at the cable and realised that the Beetles must have chewed through it.

He raced back to Matt; maybe he could ring her on his mobile. Finding Matt in the medical bay he quickly explained the situation. They all looked at their watches. 6.08 am! For some reason Abby was stalling.

* * *

><p>6.08 am...<p>

Abby sobbed hard as she prepared to insert the disc that would start the destruction sequence. She had waited until 6.00 am for Connor's call. Then she had tried to call him several times, and had been met with silence. She struggled to insert the disc that would take the father of her child away _FOREVER!_

Her heart broke as she realised that the worst had happened and that her beloved was dead. She had an ache in her chest as she picked up the disc. The light disc felt like lead in her hands and she shook as she pulled it out of its case. Emily stood beside her, sobbing equally hard. Both of them knowing that if they really wanted to change the future then this would _have_ to be done.

"Connor!" she wailed as she inserted the disc into the hard drive. The computer whirred into action, starting a sequence of events that would destroy the ARC entirely.

* * *

><p>6.10 am... In the ARC<p>

Connor held Matt's mobile phone in his hands, shaking. He dialled Abby's number quickly, and got a message saying incorrect number.

He cursed himself as he realised that he got the number wrong. He dialled again. This time the phone rang.

But a surreal voice sounded out over the sound system, sending chills throughout his whole body.

LOCKDOWN DESTRUCTION ACTIVATED.

LOCKDOWN DESTRUCTION ACTIVATED.

LOCKDOWN DESTRUCTION ACTIVATED.

LOCKDOWN DESTRUCTION ACTIVATED.

LOCKDOWN DESTRUCTION ACTIVATED.

* * *

><p>(Evil Cackle)<p>

Sorry for this... But it just begged to be done!

Thank you to YouHaveLovelyHair for letting me use the Surreal voice over the sound system.

So Readers...

Guess what happens next...

Manny the Mammoth Cookies for anyone who Reviews!


	26. Chapter 26

**The Changing Face of Lester. **

**Abby has started the Destruction Sequence...**

**Is it too late?**

**Will Conner, Matt, Becker, Jess, Caroline and Lester all die needlessly?**

* * *

><p><em>"Connor!" she wailed as she inserted the disc into the hard drive. The computer whirred into action, starting a sequence of events that would destroy the ARC entirely.<em>

_6.10 am... In the ARC_

_Connor held Matt's mobile phone in his hands, shaking. He dialled Abby's number quickly, and got a message saying incorrect number._

_He cursed himself as he realised that he got the number wrong. He dialled again. This time the phone rang._

_But a surreal voice sounded out over the sound system, sending chills throughout his whole body._

_LOCKDOWN DESTRUCTION ACTIVATED._

* * *

><p>Connor, Matt and Becker stared at each other in horror.<p>

Abby screamed down the phone. "MATT IS THAT YOU?"

Connor spoke quickly. "Abby, I need you to stop the Destruction Sequence, You've got 30 seconds!"

"_30 SECONDS!"_ Abby screamed at him_, "HOW AM I GOING TO STOP THIS IN 30 SECONDS!"_

"Listen Abby, I need you to calm down!" Connor heard the agony in her voice, the terror in her tone.

"_I'M NOT THE COMPUTER WHIZZ!"_ she sobbed into the phone.

"You can do this Abby! I'll talk you through it! Take a deep breath and listen!" He paused for 2 seconds. "Right, there should be a little box on the left hand corner of the screen that says 'Abort Program' I want you to double click it..."

Abby sat in front of the laptop shaking. She found the box that Connor spoke about and clicked it furiously.

"_NOTHINGS HAPPENING_!" She wailed.

"How many times have you clicked it?"

"_I DUNNO... LOTS!"_ She howled. Connor winced; he took a deep breath before speaking.

"O.K. let the computer finish what it trying to do, the box will flash up!" Connor tried to use his calm voice to reassure Abby, he rubbed his hand over his chin and he fell to his knees as he heard the sound system.

20 SECONDS UNTIL DESTRUCTION

"_NO!"_ Abby screamed as she heard the disembodied voice over the phone. Her distress clear in her voice. Mentally she kicked herself. How could she have started this destruction sequence, she wished that she had waited five more minutes. She voiced her misery to Emily.

"You mustn't think about that now, listen to what Connor says and act on it!"

Abby gulped, Emily was right, Connor need her to save his life, and she was the only person who could do it!

She stared at the computer screen and willed it to change. Suddenly the 'Abort Program' box appeared.

"I've got it!" she yelled over the phone.

"It'll ask you for a password. Can you see it?"

"Yes,"

"Put in the password... It's Abby..." He waited.

"O.K. ... Abby Maitl..."

10 SECONDS UNTIL DESTRUCTION

Came the announcement over the tanoy. It would now start the countdown.

"_NO!"_ Connor screamed. He took another deep breath. "Not Abby Maitland...Put in ... Abby... Temple"

Abby's mouth dropped as she realised the connection. Even in the destruction sequence Connor had been thinking of _HER_! His password was one that he wanted her to be. What her name would become if they married.

She typed in the name as quickly as she could, but because of her shaking so much she got the letters jumbled up. She cursed herself, and took a deep breath as she heard the tanoy at the ARC.

Becker and Matt grabbed Caroline and took her into Jess' room. They huddled on the bed watching Connor in horror as he crouched in the corridor.

5 SECONDS UNTIL DESTRUCTION

She typed the words in...

3 SECONDS UNTIL DESTRUCTION

Hit enter...

2 SECONDS UNTIL DESTRUCTION

And waited...

1 SECOND UNTIL DESTRUCTION

* * *

><p>Is It All Over?<p>

Will anyone survive?

Will Becker find the Parachute thats been hidden away in a corner of the Medical Bay? (For YouHaveLovelyHair)

* * *

><p>Thank you to everyone who has reviewed my stories.<p>

Please, please, please make me happy and press the review button and leave a comment.

Doesn't have to be long

:-D


	27. Chapter 27

**The Changing Face of Lester.**

* * *

><p><strong>This is the Final Chapter of Changing Faces of Lester.<strong>

**This is the Chapter you've ALL Been waiting for! **

**I hope it lives up to expectations!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter 27<strong>_

_Abby typed in the name as quickly as she could, but because of her shaking so much she got the letters jumbled up. She cursed herself, and took a deep breath as she heard the tanoy at the ARC._

_Becker and Matt grabbed Caroline and took her into Jess' room. They huddled on the bed watching Connor in horror as he crouched in the corridor._

_5 SECONDS UNTIL DESTRUCTION_

_She typed the words in..._

_3 SECONDS UNTIL DESTRUCTION_

_Hit enter..._

_2 SECONDS UNTIL DESTRUCTION_

_And waited..._

_1 SECOND UNTIL DESTRUCTION_

* * *

><p>She felt nauseous, and wanted to be sick, but she waited...<p>

She waited for the sound of the explosion that would tear through the building...

But none came...

Her stomach churned, she scrunched up her face and whispered into the phone...

"Connor..., are you there?" her voice was almost inaudible. But Connor heard her.

For a moment he couldn't speak, as relief gushed through his body. The sound system blared into life again.

DESTRUCTION SEQUENCE ABORTED

DESTRUCTION SEQUENCE ABORTED

DESTRUCTION SEQUENCE ABORTED

DESTRUCTION SEQUENCE ABORTED

DESTRUCTION SEQUENCE ABORTED

Abby heard the sound over the phone, and a tear rolled down her face. Emily watched her friend throughout the whole procedure and with the sight of more of Abby's tears had assumed the worst. She sank to the floor, sobbing herself.

Abby suddenly got up and ran into the bathroom, she left the door open behind her and she leaned over the toilet bowl to be violently sick.

Emily picked up the phone and without putting it to her ear, disconnected. She followed Abby into the bathroom and rubbed her back. Emily continued to fuss over Abby for a moment, trying to make sure she was going to be okay, sobbing as she did so.

Abby sat back leaning against the bath tub, having purged the contents of her stomach. Since last night she had not eaten much, and even this had not stayed in her system for too long. She reached over and hugged Emily, she whispered in her ear.

"It worked... They're alive!" Emily's jaw dropped, as she processed the information.

The mobile phone in Emily's hand vibrated into life. The shrill tone piercing into the relative quietness of the flat.

Emily activated it and spoke into the phone.

"Hello," she gasped as she heard the voice on the other end.

"Abby, Abby, are you ok?" Emily heard Connor's frantic voice on the other end. She passed the phone over.

"It's Connor!" She squeaked. They were alive, Connor was alive! This meant that Matt must be alive too! More tears leaked from her eyes. Relief surged through her as she cried.

"Connor...?" She whispered.

"Abby... you did it Abby; I knew you could do it..." Connor breathed, glad of the reprieve that they'd been given.

"Are you O.K.?"

"Yes ... I'm alright... Nothing a quick kiss and a cuddle won't fix..." Abby took a deep breath, needing to breathe deeply after the shock and panic of the last few minutes. "Is it ok to come in...?" Abby asked eager to see and hold her lover.

"No, not yet... I'll ring you... I'll have to use Matt's mobile, my phones' batteries are dead..." Connor paused and then added. "I love you Abby."

Exhaustion caught up with Abby, she felt very drowsy, although she could have fallen asleep right there in the bathroom it wasn't one of the most comfortable places to sleep. She picked herself up, trudged with heavy feet to the bedroom and collapsed on the bed. Finally relieved that everything was over, grateful that Connor was alive and just plainly exhausted from the lack of sleep, she fell into a very deep and undisturbed sleep.

Matt, Becker, Jess and Caroline were sat huddled on the far side of the gurney. Collectively they breathed a sigh of relief. Matt looked at Caroline, she was shaking like a leaf. He pulled her close and gave her a reassuring hug. Becker looked at Jess and did the same. Together they looked over to Connor who sat on the floor in the corridor, trembling. Slowly Matt stood up, unsure whether any movement would set the bombs off. Gingerly he walked across to Connor and put a hand on his shoulder.

Connor looked up, slowly he smiled...

"She did it! She stopped the bombs going off...! I knew she could do it! Connor smiled. As he got up he winced, he looked down at his injured leg. "Ow!"

He hobbled over to where Becker, Jess and Caroline stood.

"I think you should have the next week off and have complete bed rest." Caroline stated as Connor wobbled.

"I don't think Lester would let me have it!" Connor winced again.

"He will if I tell him that he has to... In fact, why don't you **_ALL_** have the week off?" Caroline smiled knowing that James would **_NEVER_**refuse her. Everyone grinned.

* * *

><p><em><strong>THE END? ...<strong>_

* * *

><p>I would like to thank ALL my readers, but most of all I would like thank Heyarandomgal, messersmontana, Bethsquirt, MouseyJayne, A Daydream Away, Jet Becker, ArodLoverus2001, Doctor98614, Beth Becker, This 'n' That (Are you still there?), Skay123, (I hope you are still there!), EmmaL94 (Please review), Trude, Rubytronix, PrehistoricCat (Thank you for your advice, I hope this meets your high standards!) CSI Vikki. HP, lilnicki23.<p>

I would also like to thank my ANR. You _really_ should get you own e-mail account! You should also get your own Fan fiction account. It would be lovely to reply to you properly and not have to post any replies at the bottom of our stories. My only question to you is - Why can't you create your own fan fiction account? Are you too young? In which case what are you doing reading fan fiction?

But most of all I would like to thank **Loving This** and **YouHaveLovelyHair,** for _**ALL**_ their help, through my misery, at writing the sad last letters and blogs, helping me through the parts when my muse abandoned me, and giving me a good swift kick up the backside when I needed it.

* * *

><p><em>The next story in the Saving the World Series focuses on Becker.<em>

_Boss's Daughter._

**_Love to you all_**

**_Sandy Lee Potts_**


End file.
